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The Princesse de Lamballe;a biography.b'

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THE PRINCESSE
DE LAMBALLE

A BIOGRAPHY

BY

B. C. HAKDY

• Plutot mourir que changer'

ILLUSTRATED

LONDON

ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE

AND COMPANY LTD

1908

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

The House of Savoy

The Rise of the House of Savoy — The Counts of Savoy — The Dukes
of Savoy — The Savoy-Carignan branch — Prince EugiJne — The
Kings of Sardinia — Abdication of Victor Amadeus — Charles
Emmanuel — Birth of the Princesse Marie Theri^se Louise —
Her Childhood and Education ....

CHAPTER n

1767

Proposal of Marriage for Mademoiselle de Savoy-Carignan is
made through the French Ambassador on behalf of the Duo
de Penthifevre for the Prince de Lamballe — Rank and Position
of the Due de Penthievre — His benevolent disposition — Char-
acter of the Prince de Lamballe — The Due de Penthievre in
Italy^The Betrothal is declared —The Marriage takes place
by Proxy — The Princesse sets out for France — The handsome
Page of Montereau — Romantic meeting of the Bride and
Bridegroom — The Arrival in Paris — Wedding Feast at the
Hotel de Toulouse

CHAPTER HI

1767-8

Presentation of the Princesse de Lamballe at Court — Louis xv. and
his Family — Wedding Festivities — Mademoiselle d'Yvoy —
Happiness of the young Couple — The Due de Chartres makes
Mischief — The Story of Genevieve Galliot — The young Prince
tires of his Bride — His constant Infidelities — Mdlle. de la

THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

Chassaiue— Mdlle. de la Foret— The Prince steals his Wife's
Diamonds— Illness of the Princesse— The Prince falls from
hia horse, sustains serious injuries, and dies — The Funeral at
Rambouillet— Grief of the Due de Penthif-vre and of the
Princesse — She resolves to enter a Convent

18

CHAPTER IV

1768-70

The Duo de Penthifevre induces the Princesse not to take the Veil
—They go to Rambouillet— The Due's Pages — Florian — Life
at Rambouillet — 'King of the Poor' — Louis XV. and the
Paupers' Supper — The Due's Charity — His Watches — Made-
moiselle leaves her Convent — Death of Queen Maria Lee-
zinska — Madame Adelaide is anxious that the King should
marry the Princesse de Lamballe — -Advent of Madame
Dubarry — Presentation of the Due de PenthiSvre's Daughter
— Negotiations for her Marriage to the Duo de Chartres —
The King's displeasure — The Marriage takes place . . 29

CHAPTER V

1770-4

Marriage of the Dauphin to Marie Antoinette of Austria — Arrival
of the Dauphiness — First meeting between her and the Prin-
cesse — Court Festivities — Quarrels over Precedence — Visit of
the Princesse to Havre — The Household of the Dauphiness —
Madame de Noailles — The Abb6 de Vermond — The Comte
de Mercy-Argenteau — DifBcult position of the Dauphiness —
Her first Friends — Visits of the Prince of Sweden and the
King of Denmark — A warm Friendship grows between the
Dauphiness and the Princesse — Mercy's doubts — The Dauphin-
ess wishes to marry her friend to the Prince de Lambesc, but
is persuaded to renounce the idea — Marriage of the Comte de
Provence to the grand-daughter of the King of Sardinia —
Wedding F6te given by the Duchesse de Mazarin — Illness of
the Duchesse de Chartres — Birth of Louis Philippe — Marriage
of the Comte d'Artois to the sister of the Comtesse de Provence
— Intimate circle of the young Royal Family — Jealousy of the
King's daughters .... .43

CONTENTS Yii

CHAPTER VI
1774

PAGE

Death of Louis xv. — Changes at the new Court — Marie Antoinette
is anxious to make the Princesse Superintendent of her House-
hold — She meets with opposition — The Duo de Penthievre and
the Princesse represent the King and Queen in Brittany — A
royal Progress — Affectionate letters from the Queen^The
Princesse returns to Versailles . . .59

CHAPTER VII

1775

A gay and lively Court — The Empress Maria Theresa disapproves
her daughter's violent friendships — The Princesse's father and
brothers visit her in Paris — Festivities in their honour — Her
youngest brother, the Comte de Villefranche, is made Colonel
of a French Regiment — The Coronation at Rheims — The Prin-
cesse travels in Holland with the Duchesse de Chartres —
Madame de Genlis — Birth of the Due d'Angouleme — Marriage
of Madame Clothilde, the King's sister — The Princesse is at
last appointed Superintendent of the Queen's Household —
Congratulations — Letter from Brittany — Her reply — Diffi-
culties concerning the duties of a Superintendent — She insists
on enjoying the full privileges — Quarrels with the Abb6 de
Vermond, who wishes to qualify her powers — She is granted
50j000 crowns a year — Happy months with the Queen — Water
Expeditions — Delicacy of the Princesse . . . .69

CHAPTER VIII

1775-6

cold Winter — Sleigh Parties — Contemporary accounts of the
Princesse — Passage from the Gonoourts — Madame de Genlis
on her fainting-fits — Her faults and failings — Unconven-
tionalityof Marie Antoinette and its unfortunate consequences
— Petit Trianon — The Queen's restlessness — Tales float about
her name — She meets the Comtesse Jules de Polignac and
declares her ' an angel ' — Character of the Comtesse and of her
sister-in-law the Comtesse Diane — The Princesse does not like

viii THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

PAGE

the Comtesae, who sets the Queen against her — The Princesse
will not invite to Balls, which annoys the Queen — Ball given
by the Due de Chartres — Enormous headdresses of the Period —
The Due de Chartres is in favour with the Queen — His practical
jokes — Rowdiness at Court — The Princesse buys a new house
— Retirement of the Comtesse de la Marche — The Princesse
obtains a Pension for her . . . 83

CHAPTER IX

1776-8

Other Friends of the Queen — The Comtesse de Dillon — The Prin-
cesse de Guem^ne — Low moral standard of the Court ladies —
The Princesse de Lamballe alone above suspicion — The Prin-
cesse de G-U(5m^n(5 is made Governess to the royal children of
France — The Queen is constantly in her rooms — Annoyance of
Mercy — Foolish games at Versailles — Growing unpopularity
of the Queen — Tlie Princesse remonstrates, but is laughed at
by the Polignacs — She goes to Plombi^res for her health —
Is attacked with Measles there — Consternation of the Queen —
The Princesse recovers — Returns to Versailles by Nancy,
where she is received with semi-royal honours — The Polignacs
are still in high favour — Mania of Marie Antoinette for
gambling — Pharaon in the Princesse's rooms — Visit of the
Queen's brother the Emperor Joseph — He disapproves of
many things — The Queen promises to amend her ways —
Christening of the Due de Chartres' twin daughters — The
Queen attends the masked balls at the Opera — Further friction
between the Princesse and the Abb6 de Vermond — Evening
concerts at Versailles — The Princesse is once more in favour —
Death of her mother — Affectionate letter from the Queen . 99

CHAPTER X
1778-80

Death of the Princesse's father — Birth of Madame Royale — Re-
joicings in France — Visits of condolence to the Princesse on
her bereavement — The Queen has Measles — Her imprudent
behaviour — 'The Queen's siok-nurses' — On recovery, she goes
straight to Madame de Polignac — The Princesse spends the
summer at Rambouillet — The Duchesse de Chartres and her
children — Florian — A quiet life — 'La petite Anniette' — The
Princesse returns to Versailles and Marly — Is coldly received

CONTENTS

PAGE

by the Queen — Calumnious Tales — The Queen's infatuation
for the Polignacs — Comte Jules is made Due — Mademoiselle
Etiennette d'Amblimont is introduced to the Princesse, who
takes her into her Household and grows much attached to her
— Letter from the Princesse — The Queen and Madame de
Polignao act Plays at Versailles — The Princesse is refused
admission — Death of her eldest brother — Imprudent marriage
of her brother the Comte de Villefranehe — Death of the
Empress Maria Theresa . . . . 115

CHAPTER XI

1780-5

The spread of Freemasonry in France — Lady Masons — The Prin-
cesse Is made Grand Mistress of the Scottish Lodge —
Affectionate letter from the Queen — Birth of a, Dauphin —
Marriage of Etiennette d'Amblimont to the Comte de Lage de
Volude — Visit of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess Paul
of Russia — Recollections of the Baronne d'Oberkirch — Prottig^s
of the Princesse — Bankruptcy of the Guiiment'S — The Duchesse
de Polignac is appointed Governess to the Royal Children —
The Princesse is much with the Duo de Penthifevre —Letter to
Madame de Lage — The King insists on buying Rambouillet
from the Due, who leaves it with reluctance — Madame Eliza-
beth — Gustavus III. of Sweden in Paris — Unconventional visit
to the Princesse — Progress of Ballooning — Coldness of the
Queen to the Princesse — Florian's Dedication — Fire at the
Hotel de Toulouse — Birth of the Due de Normandie — Ill-
health of the Princesse — Death of her brother the Comte de
Villefranehe ... ... 132

CHAPTER XH

1785-9

The Diamond Necklace — Marie Antoinette's frivolous days are
over — Enmity of the Due de Chartres, now Due d'Orlians —
Rudeness of the Duchesse de Polignac — Continued ill-health
of the Princesse— She visits the Salpetri^re— But is not allowed
to see Madame de Lamotte — Convention of the Notables
— Expenses are reduced — Dissatisfaction of the Nobles — The
Princesse seeks health in England— Mentions of her by Horace
Walpole and Fanny Burney— Letter from her at Brighton to
Madame de Lage — She returns to Versailles, much recovered

THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

PAQS

— Serious Disagreement between the King and the Due
d'Orl^ans — Orleans is banished to Villera-Cotterets alone —
His Relatives are at last allowed to join him — Accident to the
Prinoesse while playing with her little Nephew — Orleans is
allowed to return — Unpopularity of the Queen — She turns
again to the Princesse — Florian is admitted to the Acad(5mie
Francaise— Public Baptism of the young Dues de Chartres and
de Montpensier — Dihut of Mdlle. Charlotte de la Chassaine — •
The Princesse pays visits with Madame de L^ge — She is
nearly poisoned by bad cookery — Her enthusiastic reception
at Tours .... ... 152

CHAPTER XHI

1789-90

Baptism of Mademoiselle d'Orleans — The Prinoesse visits the
Revolutionary Club at the Petits Carmes — The States-General
are called — The Princesse visits the dying Dauphin at Meudon
— Death of the Dauphin — The Princesse gives Madame de
Lage a fresh Suite of Rooms and a Surprise Party — The Prin-
oesse travels in Switzerland — Fall of the Bastille — Emigration
of the Nobles — Flight of the d'Artois and the Polignacs — The
Due de Penthidvre visits Paris — The Prinoesse returns to the
Due at Eu — The Attack on Versailles — The Royal Family are
forced to leave for the Tuileries — Reception of this News by
the Princesse — Her hurried Journey to Paris — The Queen's
joy at seeing her — Settling into the Tuileries — The Princesse's
Parties — Oliver Cromwell's Hair — A quiet Winter — The Trea-
sury is empty — The Nobles send Valuables to be sold for the
Country — M. de Penthi^vre's Contribution — Letter from the
Princesse to her Treasurer — Her Motto — Orleans goes to Eng-
land — Death of the Emperor Joseph — Letter from the Queen
to the Princesse . .... 168

CHAPTER XIV
1790-1

Libels against the Queen and her Friends — Superintendent indeed
— Suspicions of the Queen's Ladies — Madame Campan's story
—The Court goes to St. Cloud— The Return to Paris— The
Fete of the Federation — Illness of M. de Peuthi^vre — The

CONTENTS xi

PAGE

Princesae goes to nurse him — Letters from the King and
Queen — The Princease is again favourably received in Tours —
Matrimonial Troubles of the Duchesse d'Orl^ans— She obtains
a Separation — Orleans' hatred of the Princesse — Continued
Emigration of the Nobles— Escape of the King's Aunts— The
Queen hopes much from Mirabeau's Friendship— Death of
Mirabeau— Illness of the King— The Royal Family is pre-
vented from going to St. Cloud— Count Fersen undertakes to
help them escape . . . . 186

CHAPTER XV

1791

The Princesse is informed by the Queen of her projected escape,
and is begged to join her in Brussels by another route — She
hastens to Aumale — Tells the Due de Penthifevre and the
Duchesse d'Orleans of her plans, and hurries on — Temporary
Arrest of the Due de Penthifevre and the Duchesse d'Orleans —
The Princesse reaches Boulogne and crosses to Dover — She
hears the Flight of the Royal Family has failed — The English
Legend — She crosses again to Ostend and travels to Brussels
— Confers with the Queen's Sister and Friends — The Comte
and Comtesse de Provence are safe, and proceed to Coblentz —
Count Fersen — The Queen wishes her Friends to stay out of
France — The Princesse goes to Aix-la-Chapelle — Lieutenant
de Las Cases — The Princesse doubts whether to remain here
or to rejoin the Queen — Letters from the Queen — Madame de
Lage's account of the Life at Aix — She goes on a Visit to
Coblentz against the Princesse's wish — The Princesse visits
Gustavus of Sweden at Spa — Madame de Lige returns —
Visit to Charlemagne's Baths — Gustavus dines with the Prin-
cesse at Aix — Madame de Lage's ill-temper — The Princesse's
Forgiveness — Letters from the Queen — The new Constitution
— The Princesse is formally requested to resume her Post —
She makes her "Will — Leaves for Paris — 'Into the Tiger's
Jaws' ... . . 199

CHAPTER XVI

1791-2

tate of the Royal Family and of Paris — The Due de Penthievre
renounces his Honours — The Princesse writes to recall the

xii THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

PAGE

£migris — Disagreement of Madame Elizabeth with her Family
— Letter from the Princesse to Las Cases — P(5tion's hatred of
the Princesse — Madame de la Bochejaquelin's story — Death of
Leopold of Austria— Assassination of Gustavus of Sweden —
Plots and Calumnies — Bertrand de Moleville almost succeeds
in reconciling the King and Orleans — But Orleans is insulted
by the Court and never forgives — Austria attempts to rescue
the King, who is forced to declare War against her — The
Princesse's last Visit to the Due de Penthifevre — The Austrian
Committee story disproved — The King's Veto — Fury of the
People — The Tuileries is attacked — The Queen's nobility —
The Princesse's courage ...... 225

CHAPTER XVn

1792

The Fete of the 14th July — The Queen's terror for her Husband —
Anxious days at the Tuileries — Madame de Lage passes through
Paris on her way to her Mother at Bordeaux — The Princesse
visits her at night — Their last parting — The night of the 9th
August — The Tuileries besieged — Murder of M. de Mandat —
The King's Review — The Princesse loses heart — Roederer
begs the Royal Family to take refuge in the Legislative
Assembly — The King accepts — The Princesse and Madame de
Tourzel are allowed to accompany them — 'We shall never
return to the Chateau ' — Objections to admit them to the
Chamber — They are allowed to sit in the Reporters' Box — The
Tuileries is sacked, and the booty dragged in before their eyes
— The Princesse is taken ill and is removed to the Convent
close by — She recovers and returns — They all spend the night
at the Convent — News of the Friends they had left at the
Tuileries — Madame de Tourzel's daughter Pauline rejoins her
— The Princesse's servants send her money — It is resolved to
imprison the Royal Family in the Temple — The terrible drive
there ... ... 244

CHAPTER XVni

1792

Discomforts of the Temple — Letter to the Princesse de Tarente —
Orders are received to remove all not Members of the Royal

CONTENTS xiii

PAOR

Family — Indignant remonstrances of the Queen — Parting
between the Queen and the Princesae — The Princesse, with
Madame de Tourzel and Pauline, is taken to the Hotel de Ville
— Interrogation before Billaud Varennes — The Ladies are
sent to La Force and separately imprisoned — Significant entry
of the Princesse's name in the Prison Register — The three
Ladies are at last allowed to share a room and send for their
Effects — Madame de Tourzel 's account of the Life in Prison —
They are set to make coarse shirts — Their Jailers feel interest
in their fate — Dangerous state of Paris — A Midnight Visitor
commands Pauline to dress and follow him — She is obliged to
obey — Terror of her Mother — Courage and Kindness of the
Princesse — Pauline's Adventures — She is saved at last — Morn-
ing in the Prison — Ominous signs — The vile ' Last Testament '
of the Princesse cried in the streets — The Princesse is called
out, and Madame de Tourzel accompanies her — They wait in
the crowded Courtyard — Gabriel's Portrait — The Princesse is
called before the Tribunal, and bids Farewell to her Friend —
Subsequent Trial and Rescue of Madame de Tourzel . 260

CHAPTER XIX

September 3, 1792

Conflicting accounts of the Princesse's last hours — The terrible
Tribunal — Her Examination and Sacrifice— Penthiivre's men
do their best to save her, but in vain — She is led to the Gate,
struck down, and murdered — Horrible details of her Death—
Her Head is carried through Paris on a Pike— Lamotte's
account— Madame Junot's account— A Perruquier is forced to
dress her Hair — The Head is carried to the Temple and the
Palais Royal— Horror of Marie Antoinette— The Case against
Orl(5ans — Penthi^vre's men get possession of the Head — They
carry it to the Foundlings' Hospital, where it is buried— List
of the Princesse's Possessions— Probable fate of her body . 283

CHAPTER XX

Conclusion

Reception of the News by the Duchesse d'Orleans and the Due de
Penthi^vre— Death of the Due de Penthi^vre— Subsequent

xiv THE PRINOESSE DE LAMBALLE

PAGE

Fate of the Royal Family — The Due d'OrlAans— The Duchesse
d'Orleans — Madame de Lage — Madame de Ginestous — Florian
— The Duchesse de Polignac — The Property of the Princesse —
Trial of her Murderers — Her Character — Memorial Services
for her ... . . . 297

Bibliographical Note . . . . 306

Index of Persons .... . . 309

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

MARIE TH^RfiSE LOUISE DE SAVOY CARIGNAN,
PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE. From a print after the
picture by L. E. Rioult . . . Frontispiece

To face page

THE CHATEAU DE RAMBOUILLET . 32

MARIE ANTOINETTE, DAUPHINESS OF FRANCE, AT

THE AGE OF SEVENTEEN. By F. H. Drouais . 50

THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE. From a portrait at
Versailles ....

84

GABRIELLE YOLANDE, DUCHESSE DE POLIGNAC.
From a curious old print done from memory the year after
her death, 1794 ... • . 92

MARIE ANTOINETTE, QUEEN OF FRANCE. Painted in

1788 by Madame Vig^e Lbbedn .... 138

LOUISE MARIE ADIELAIDE, DUCHESSE D'ORLEANS
(Daughter of the Due de Penthievee). By Madame Vigee
Lebkun ........ 194

MADAME DE LAMBALLE FOUR HOURS BEFORE HER
DEATH. Sketched in the Courtyard of La Force by F.
Gabbisl ... ... 280

GENEALOGICAL TABLE OF THE HOUSE OF SAVOY . 308

' She was beautiful, she was good, she had known
no happiness. Young hearts, generation after genera-
tion, will think with themselves : O worthy of
worship, thou king-descended, god-descended, and
poor sister-woman ! why was not I there ; and some
Sword Balmung or Thor's Hammer in my hand ? '

Carltle's French Bevolution
(vol. iii. book i. chap, iv.)

THE PRINOESSE DE LAMBALLE

CHAPTER I

THE HOUSE OF SAVOY

Much has been written of the French Revolution, its
chief actors and its most exalted victims. Much yet
remains to write ; for in that storm of wills and
passions things beautiful and terrible were done, such
as the generations cannot choose but remember, when,
with an insatiable hunger, they turn yet again to that
thunderous page on which is written the History of
the Terror. But above the midnight wrack shine
many starry deeds, and the nature in us invokes
recital of these as an only possible palliative to the
scarcely credible horrors with which they stand
surrounded. And surely, of all who fell in that
dark time, few were more innocent and more terribly
fated than Marie Th^rfese Louise de Savoy-Carignan,
Princesse de Lamballe.

The House of Savoy, of which this princess was a
member of the younger and the now sole surviving
branch, has left its mark far back upon the history
of central Europe. Humbert of the White Hands,
Count of Maurienne, traditionally said to be descended
from Witikind, the great Saxon, was first invested

2 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

by the Emperor Conrad with the counties of Chablais
and Lower Valais, till then part of the Burgundian
kingdom. Humbert died in 1048, and his successor
Otho added the marquisate of Susa and the counties
of Val d'Aosta and Turin (acquired by marriage) to
his inherited possessions ; the next two counts
brought respectively the province of Bugey and the
lordship of Tarantaise to the rapidly growing realm,
and Auiadeus lii. (1103-49) first styled himself Mar-
grave of Turin and Count of Savoy. The next
Amadeus was created Duke of Chablais and Aosta ;
Peter (1263-8) gave his niece in marriage to King
Henry III. of England, lived much in that country,
and built the Savoy Palace in London ; Amadeus v.
(and the Great) was made a Prince of the Empire.
In 1416 the Emperor Sigismund created Amadeus
VIII. Duke of Savoy and Piedmont, and by this time
the dominion of Savoy extended from the Lake of
Geneva to the Gulf of Genoa, from the Saone to
Maggiore, and to Vercelli and Alessandria in Pied-
mont, no inconsiderable realm. Amadeus, however,
soon resigned his dukedom for a monastery, whence
he was called by the Council of Basle in 1439 to be
Pope under the title of Felix v. in place of the
deposed Eugenius iv. This dignity too he resigned
after nine years, and became a Cardinal, dying three
years later.

The dukedom had risen so far with too rapid and
unbroken strides to be exempt from a certain amount

THE HOUSE OF SAVOY 3

of misfortune, which arrived during the reign of
Charles in. (1503-53). Francis i. of France clashed
with the Emperor Charles v. ; Savoy sided with
the latter, and in the years of unrest many of her
provinces were temporarily lost. Victory returned,
however, with the accession of the next duke,
Emmanuel Philibert (1553-80), only to fluctuate again
under his son, Charles Emmanuel (1580-1630). This
Charles Emmanuel it was whose fourth son, Tomaso
Francesco, was created Prince of Savoy- Carignan, the
line from which the present sovereign of Italy is
directly descended, and of which the subject of
this memoir was a distinguished member. One of
Tomaso's sons, Eugene, married the beautiful Olympe
Mancini, niece of Cardinal Mazarin, and of their eight
children one was the famous ' Prinz Eugen, der edle
Ritter ' ; but the descent of Savoy-Carignan passed not
through him, but through Emmanuel Philibert, the
deaf prince, who died in 1709, aged seventy- nine, and
whose grandson, Louis Victor Amadeo Joseph, married
Christine Henriette of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rothenburg,
and was the father of Marie Therese Louise.

The direct succession of Savoy meanwhile passed
through Charles Emmanuel i.'s son and grandson to
his great-grandson, Victor Amadeus ii. (1673-1730),
in whose person, 1720, the Dukes of Savoy were
henceforth created Kings of Sardinia. Victor Amadeus
was a great soldier and a distinguished man. He
married Anne Mary, daughter of Philip, Due

4 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

d'Orl^ans, and Henrietta, youngest child of Charles i.
of England, through whom, as the accompanying
table will show, derives Princess Mary of Bavaria,
the present ' Legitimist ' Queen of England ; but after
his wife's death he became enamoured of the beauti-
ful Countess of Sommariva, and, weary of public life,
abdicated in favour of his son, Charles Emmanuel iii.,
and retired, as the Conte di Tenda, to Chambery,
where the couple were privately married. The sequel
is somewhat reminiscent of a more modern King
Lear. Either because he considered the kingdom
badly governed, or because the fair Countess teased
him to make her a queen, after a year's retirement
Victor Amadeus suddenly announced his intention
of resuming the kingship, and boasted that his first
act should be to behead all the ministers of his son.
The threat became known, and the ministers heartily
agreed that the ex-King should be seized. He was
taken and kept in solitary and absolutely silent con-
finement at Eivoli, the reason given being that his
mind was unhinged, and all to whom he spoke were
permitted only to reply by low and respectful bows.
If not so already, such treatment was certainly calcu-
lated to make him really mad ; but after a while
these rules were lightened, and he was allowed the
society of his wife. He died, however, shortly after,
an old and broken man.

In spite of this drastic treatment of his father,
Charles Emmanuel iii. seems on the whole to have

BIRTH OF THE PRINCESSE 5

been a good king. He reigned from 1*730 to 1773,
and was thus head of the family when our little
princess, Marie Therese Louise, was born. He and
her father married sisters, his second wife, by whom
alone he had children, being Polixene Christine of
Hesse-Eheinfels-Rothenburg ; and our princess could
thus claim first cousinship to his children through her
mother, besides the more remote branch relationship.

The future Princesse do Lamballe was the fourth
daughter of her parents, and was born on the 8 th
September 1749, at the Palazzo Carignano in Turin.
At the moment of her birth the populace was cele-
brating with much shouting and ringing of bells the
anniversary of the relief of Turin by the French
troops in 1706. The streets were full of people,
cheering and singing, wild with the Italian excite-
ment which rejoices over any festa, and the first
sound — as it was the last — to fall upon the ears of
the little Louise must have been the long roar of
the mob.

Little is related of her childhood, and nothing that
is really authentic. She was one of a family of eight,
and throughout her life seems to have been devotedly
attached to all her relatives, but particularly to her
brothers, Louis Victor and Eugfeue Marie. The
Court of Sardinia was simple almost to severity ; she
had good parents and a happy home, and the con-
tentment which absence of history is said to imply in
woman was certainly hers for the first eighteen years

6 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

of her life. The Palazzo Carignano, where she dwelt
with her parents, designed by Guarini and long un-
finished, was used later as the Chamber of Deputies,
and as such is still shown ; this was not, however,
till after 1831, when, the direct line having died
out, our princess's grand-nephew was chosen King of
Sardinia, the present King of Italy being his great-
grandson.

BETROTHAL

CHAPTER II

1767

On the 8tli January 1767 a formal offer for the hand
of Mademoiselle de Savoy-Carignan was made to the
King of Sardinia by M. de Choiseul-Beaupr^, ambas-
sador at Turin of Louis xv. of France, on behalf of
the Due de Penthievre for his only son, Louis Alex-
ander Joseph Stanislaus, Prince de Lamballe.

Marie Therese Louise was now eighteen. An
alliance with France had long been desired by the
House of Savoy, and the one proposed would rank
the bride with the French Princes of the Blood,
under which title the nephews and cousins of the
King were known, the Princes of the Royal Family
being his children or grandchildren alone. The
marriage, in fact, seems to have been considered a
very magnificent one for the young princess, since
it will be remembered that the kingdom of Sardinia
was of very recent origin, and she herself belonged
only to the younger branch. The Due de Penthievre
was the son of the Comte de Toulouse, whose parents
had been Louis xiv. and Madame de Montespan ;
he was the wealthiest nobleman in all France, and,

8 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

better still, the most upright and virtuous ; he held
innumerable honours, besides being Grand Admiral
of France and First Huntsman of the Eoyal Hunt ;
he possessed eight magnificent residences, and was
revered and adored by all who knew him. Madame
de Montespan's six children had all been legitimised,
and her two sons raised to the rank of Princes of the
Blood, and actually placed in the line of succession ;
M. de Penthievre was, after his uncle the Comte
d'Eu, their sole representative, and following him,
his son the Prince de Lamballe. All historians unite
in agreeing that had the Due de Penthievre but
succeeded to the throne as legitimate heir of Louis
XIV., the French Revolution might have remained an
unwritten page of history ; and he was in fact the
only nobleman who remained unmolested on his
estates during the disturbances until his death.

Very little seems to have been known or inquired
about the prospective bridegroom himself; it was
sufiicient that he was the son of the good Due. Yet,
with all the virtues of Penthievre— and spite of the
exaggerations of French writers, it is plain that he
must indeed have been a really fine gentleman — one
finds it difiicult to forgive him for demanding a young
and innocent girl in marriage for the incorrigible rake
whom he was unfortunate enough to own for son. It
is not unusual, when any quality is cultivated almost
to excess in one generation, to find it entirely absent
from the next, and this was emphatically the case

THE PRINCE DE LAMBALLE 9

with M. de Lamballe. Only nineteen, handsome and
fascinating in the extreme, he had yet entered so
early upon a vicious career that even his father, long
blinded to his true character, began to feel uneasy,
and, casting about for some means of reformation,
clutched desperately at the hope that marriage with a
charming princess might accomplish all that parental
remonstrance and despair had failed to achieve. The
story goes that M. de Penthievre first became sus-
picious of his son's tastes some years before in conse-
quence of his frequent and mysterious absences from
home. He bade a servant follow and watch him,
promising him fifty louis for his trouble, but the next
day, when the servant proceeded to obey his instruc-
tions, the young Prince suddenly turned upon him
and demanded for how much he had been set to spy
upon him. Taken aback, the man faltered out the
truth. ' Then,' said Lamballe, ' I will give you fifty
louis to go back at once, and fifty blows on the head
if you do not.' Anxious to please all sides, the spy
accepted the money of both, and reported to his
master that the Prince went disguised to render acts
of charity to the poor, a harmless amusement in which
M. de Penthievre himself was frequently wont to
indulge.

One cannot help thinking that if the Due really
permitted himself to accept this statement, he must
have been quite colossally obtuse. Himself the only
child of elderly parents, his personal tastes were

10 THE PEINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

possibly quite diiferent from those of his son; but
he had moved much about the world, and no doubt
knew the peculiarly corrupt age he lived in well
enough. His biographers would have us believe him
devoid of every human fault and failing, but he
himself always laid claim to a fiery temper, which
he declared he had had uncommon difficulty in
subduing ; and in fact, spite of the sugary adjectives
with which his name is clogged throughout history,
and which are really rather calculated to prejudice
a later generation against him, we may take him on
the whole for a man of character, a good man, and
one of the most charitable and tender-hearted of
fathers. At seventeen he had distinguished himself
at the battle of Fontenoy ; and two years later he
married a daughter of the Due de Modena, to whom
he was always devotedly attached, and who bore him
seven children before her death in 1754. Only two
of these survived childhood : M. de Lamballe, and
Louise Marie Adelaide, Mademoiselle d'Yvoy, later
de Bourbon-Penthievre. His wife's death so affected
the Due de Penthi^vre that he immediately sought a
retreat at La Trappe for some weeks, and every year
after repeated his visit at the same time under the
incognito of the Comte de Dinan. On leaving the
monastery he went to Italy, was received at Rome
by Pope Benedict xiv., and then proceeded to Naples
and Modena, returning to France again only in time
to be present at his mother's death.

DOUBTFUL ANECDOTES 11

Wild rumours were naturally rife as to the reason
for the widowed Due's journey. Some felt sure he
meant to enter the Church, and wished to persuade
the Pope to make him a Cardinal ; others that he
intended to demand a dispensation to marry his
sister-in-law, Princesse Mathilde de Modena. Prob-
ably there was as much truth in both these stories
as in the very doubtful one that he visited Turin
during his wanderings, and while there became
particularly charmed with little Louise de Savoy-
Carignan, at that time not much more than five
years old. The narrator of this fable proceeds to
state that the marriage was practically settled on
the spot, and the youthful princess at once called to
do homage to her future father-in-law. ' How would
you like to be the consort of the Prince de Lam-
balle ? ' he asked her. ' Oh, very much ! I am so fond
of music ! ' replied the bewildered little person ; but
then, when he explained, ' No, no, my dear, I mean
would you have any objection to be his wife?' the
answer was, ' Oh, no indeed ! Nor anybody else's
either ! ' At which we are told all the spectators
laughed immoderately. Unfortunately for the
authority of this pretty tale, the Duchesse de
Penthievre is mentioned as having also been pre-
sent, when it was, in fact, in consequence of her death
that the journey was taken.

But there can be no doubt that the Due de
Penthievre cherished a great affection for the House

12 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

of Savoy ; and that, when he spoke to Louis xv. of
his wish to find a suitable wife for his only son, the
King's suggestion of the daughter of the Prince de
Savoy - Carignan fell in very appositely with his
own desires. The formal demand for the lady's
hand was of course only the official close to a long
and minute private correspondence ; indeed, Louis
announced the approaching marriage to the Princes
of the Blood at Versailles the day before his formal
letter was handed to the King of Sardinia.

On the 14th January the King of Sardinia declared
the betrothal to his nobles, and three days later the
contract was signed and the act received by the
Conte de Saint - Victoire, minister of state, and
notary of the Crown for the occasion. The bride's
dowry from her father and mother was to be
150,000 livres (Piedmont money, making 180,000
livres French), and a trousseau of 18,000 livres;
she was, however, to give up all further claim upon
her parents' estates in favour of her brothers and
their children. The gifts she received were magni-
ficent, and the list of her diamonds alone, mostly
presented by the Due de Penthifevre, would fill
many pages to describe. In the event of her be-
coming a widow, she was to receive 60,000 livres
French, and a life-interest on 30,000 livres a year,
besides sixteen dresses and other objects for her use
to the amount of 75,000 livres.

The marriage took place on Saturday, the l7th

A MARKIAGE BY PROXY 13

January 1767, in the royal chapel of the palace, and
was solemnised by Cardinal Delance, the king's
almoner. Prince Victor Carignan, the bride's
brother, acted proxy for her unknown bridegroom;
and immediately after the ceremony, the King of
Sardinia led the newly made Princesse de Lamballe
to the state apartments, where a magnificent bed
had been prepared, on which she lay down fully
dressed, before the whole court. Her proxy-
brother removed one shoe and stocking only and
lay beside her, this being a usual custom in such
cases, to symbolise the full completion of the mar-
riage and to entitle the wife to her full settlements
and legacies even in the event of her husband's death
before the couple met.

Next followed a splendid banquet, at which the
bride appeared for the first time in a French costume
sent by her husband, while all the other ladies pre-
sent wore Italian dresses, and looked, we are told,
very old-fashioned and strange beside her. Here,
too, she seems first to emerge from the vagueness
of her girlhood, an authentic and a very attractive
figure. With features too irregular to be classed as
strictly beautiful, her large blue eyes, her wealth of
fair hair, her charming shape, and, above all, her
peculiarly sweet smile and gentle manner, seem
nevertheless to have struck all she met with admira-
tion and delight; and her very simplicity in that
corrupt and artificial age must have dowered her

14 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

with a piquancy and a restfulness all the more pleasing
for its rarity.

The wrinkled old King of Sardinia enjoyed him-
self at this banquet, seated beside his beautiful niece.
His own eldest son was married to a Spanish prin-
cess, and already boasted a numerous family ; and in
triumph at having at last obtained an alliance with
France, the King whispered to the bride that now
she was going away she must not forget his little
grand-daughters, but, when she could, arrange good
French marriages for them also. Certainly, whether
by her doing or not, the King had his wish, for two of
these little girls ultimately imarried future kings of
France, though both died befon e their husbands came to
the throne; and Madame Clothilde, sister of Louis xvi.
of France, in her turn married Charles Emmanuel's
grandson, later King Charles Emmanuel iv.

There was to be no delay in bringing the new
Princesse de Lamballe to her husband : and the very
next day she left Turin with her attendants. All the
city came out to see her go, for she had been much
loved, and her bright face and kindly smiles would
no doubt be greatly missed : there lies always some
sadness in farewells, and certainly this occasion held
very special opportunities for it. But when one is
young, the future beckons with many and rosy hopes ;
and, at any rate, no lingering was to be permitted ;
every day's journey for the bride had been settled
in advance by the King of France himself: and on

ARRIVAL IN FRANCE 15

January 24th the bridge of Beauvoisin, the frontier
between Savoy and France, was reached.

Here the French Princess must bid farewell for ever
to her Italian home and attendants, and travel on
alone with the new suite sent to meet her. The
Chevaher de Lastic, charged with the care of her
arrangements, presented to her the Comtesse de
Guebriant and the Marquise d'Ache, her new ladies-
in-waiting : and she bade farewell in tears to the
familiar friends who had accompanied her till now.
As she looked back over the mountain road by which
she had come, a sudden presentiment of misfortune
overcame her, and for some time she was unable
to speak. Then she stepped into the magnificent
carriage sent for her, and drove on. The unfortunate
ladies returning to Turin by the Mont Cenis Pass
were attacked meanwhile by a severe snowstorm, and
many of them died of cold and exposure.

The Princesse de Lamballe was to meet her husband
and his father for the first time on the 31st of January
at Nangis. The night before she spent at Montereau,
where an extremely handsome page, tall and beauti-
fully attired, demanded to see her, and presented her
with a magnificent bouquet and some charming compli-
ments on behalf of his master the Prince. The bold
eyes of the good-looking youth seem to have left a deep
impression upon the bride, and she remarked after
to one of her ladies, ' I hope my prince will allow his
page to attend me often, for I like him much.' But

16 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

the next day, Nangis reached, and the Due de Pen-
thievre and his son hurrying forward to receive her,
to her great surprise she perceived that the page and
his master were one. The young Prince had been so
impatient to behold his wife that he could not wait
for the formal introduction ; and the glimpse he had
thus unconventionally secured had already plunged
him madly in love with her. As for her, very young
and very romantic, the little incident was quite suffi-
cient to rivet the young affections of her heart for
ever. There can be no question it was a genuine
case of love at first sight ; and the good Due de
Penthievre already felt his dearest hopes in a fair
way to be realised.

Nangis is a pretty village, clustered round the
castle, belonging at that time to the Comte de
Guerchy, by whom it had been placed at M. de
Penthifevre's disposal for this occasion. The Comte
and Comtesse de la Marche assisted him to receive
the invited guests : the village was gaily decorated,
and all haste was made to the private chapel of the
Guerchys, where the union of the young Prince and
" Princesse de Lamballe was once more formally blessed
by the Cardinal de Luynes. Only one night did the
party rest here, travelling next day the last stage of
the journey to Paris, where at M. de Penthifevre's
magnificent residence, the Hotel de Toulouse (now the
Banque de France), a splendid banquet was given
that same evening. Covers were laid for one hundred

THE WEDDING BANQUET 17

and thirty, and it was remarked that it M^as long since
so many Princes of the Blood had been seen together
at the same board. Among them were the Due
d'Orleans, the Due de Chartres, the Prince de Conde,
the Due de Bourbon, the Prince de Conti, the Comte
de la Marche, the Comte de Clermont, and the Comte
d'Eu. During the entertainment a lengthy ode was
recited in honour of the bride and bridegroom.

' Deux jeunes cceurs, formes du sang des rois,
Epris tous deux de I'ardeur la plus belle,
Veulent s'unir d'une chaiiie 6ternelle ' :

sang the poet, and indeed at the time it seemed as if
all this was true enough. One eyewitness records
that, in spite of the magnificence and the diamonds
and the splendour at this banquet, there was little
gaiety, and frequent ominous silences fell. But it is
certain that at the time no evil omens were marked,
and life seemed opening fair and golden before the
princely pair.

18 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

CHAPTER III

1767-8

Four days later, on the 5th of February, thePrincesse
de Lamballe was presented at court by the Comtesse
de la Marche. She made an entirely favourable im-
pression, and the following afternoon the King and
the whole royal family paid her the compliment of a
visit, all of which is scrupulously entered in the
careful diary kept by Louis xv.

The royal family of France at this time consisted
of the King, Louis le Bien Aime, aged fifty-seven
(who, in his fifty-two years' reign, had done little to
justify his existence, and nothing to improve France
either for his people or his descendants ; who thought
only of his vicious pleasures and his jaded appetite,
boasted of being the best cook in France, and when
warned of already smouldering rebellion, replied
cynically that the monarchy would last his time at
least) ; his Queen, poor faded Maria Leczinska,
daughter of Stanislaus, King of Poland ; and their
four unmarried daughters, Mesdames Adelaide, Vic-
toire, Sophie, and Louise, the youngest of whom
rapidly approached her thirtieth year. Louis' only

THE COURT OF FRANCE 19

son had died little more than a year before, and his
wife the Dauphiness, daughter of Augustus the Strong
of Saxony, was so broken-hearted at her loss that she
was slowly killing herself with grief and melancholy,
shut up in a room hung round with black, and con-
templating every hour her dead husband's portrait :
she died, in fact, in the March of this same year.
The young family she left behind had aroused little
interest in her : it might have been well could she
have cared more for the education and develop-
ment of certain of its members. But her eldest and
promising son, the Duke of Burgundy, had died at
the age of eleven, and poor, heavy, slow-witted Louis,
now fourteen, and Dauphin of France since his father's
death, fated to move through scenes of high historic
tragedy, was evidently no attractive youth — shy,
silent, and always pathetically conscious of the far
more suitable qualities of his younger brothers for
the distinguished post to which he himself was
destined. These younger brothers, Louis Stanislaus
Xavier, Comte de Provence, and Charles Philippe,
Comte d'Artois, with their sisters, Clothilde the fat
— ' Gros Madame ' she was called when she grew up —
and baby Elizabeth, were as yet little more than
children, and could not contribute much to the
brilliance of the Court.

It was therefore not a particularly gay circle upon
which Madame de Lamballe entered on her arrival
in France, but no doubt it appeared very strange

20 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

and delightful to her young eyes, and at such enter-
tainments as were given she was always accorded
a distinguished place. The Prince de Conti gave a
fete entirely in her honour at Paris, but insisted that
no one should be asked who had not first been
introduced to his daughter-in-law, the Comtesse de
la Marche, a stipulation which Lauzun says produced
much bitter feeling. This Comtesse de la Marche
(afterwards Duchesse de Conti) was a princess of
Modena, and related to the late Duchesse de Pen-
thievre : her husband was the last of the branch, but
the marriage was not, upon the whole, a very happy
one. Madame du Deffand, writing to Horace Walpole
this February, cries : ' Oh, do not ask me the details
of all the quarrels and bickerings in connection with
the Noce Lamballe. These are pure miseries, which
I shall tell you when we meet, and then you will
bid me hold my tongue.'

At the King's great review on the 1st July the
Princesse de Lamballe is especially mentioned as being
present. She saw also a good deal of the d' Orleans
family : and her relations with her husband's people
were of the happiest. Nothing could have been kinder
than the fatherly affection of M. de Penthifevre, or the
adoration of his little daughter for the pretty Italian
bride. Mademoiselle d'Yvoy was at this time fourteen :
her mother died when she was barely a year old, and
she had been brought up in the Benedictine convent
at Montmartre, where the good Madame de la

THE DUG DE CHARTRES 21

Rochefoucauld was abbess, and where she had formed
an intense friendship with another young lady, two
years older than herself, Mademoiselle Eugenie de
Montiguy. It was the age of great friendships, and
the very subject of this memoir was destined to
prove to the world in her own person how great
and noble a thing friendship between two women
may become. On the whole, for the first few months
of their marriage the Lamballes were an ideally
happy couple, and by the end of March the Prince
wrote to his father that he no longer desired a
certain pack of hounds, without which he had
formerly professed himself unable to exist. Nothing
now could be welcome that might call him from
his home : and certainly a happier outlook upon life
seemed impossible.

The villain of the piece enters early upon the scene
in the person of Louis Philippe Joseph, Due de
Chartres, afterwards the infamous 'Egalit^' d' Orleans.
Chartres was some seven years older than Lamballe,
whom he is credited with having introduced to all
the evil destined to bring ruin to himself and sorrow
and misery to those who loved him. He was a wild
young man, handsome and fascinating, the son of a bad
mother, and some even cast doubts upon his legitimacy
as heir to the Due d'Orleans. There is no doubt that
he held great influence over the weak and vicious
young Prince de Lamballe, though it is improbable
that he meant so ill towards him as some have

22 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

declared. There had always been some idea of a
marriage ultimately to be arranged between him and
Lamballe's sister, who, if her brother should die
without children, would stand sole heiress to the
immense wealth of Penthievre : he is therefore charged
with a desire to bring about this consummation by
breaking down the weakly constitution of the young
Prince by wild and reckless living. On the other
hand, it has been said that the Prince de Lamballe
required no introduction to vicious courses, since he
was a past master in all of them himself; nor is it
likely that, if any suspicions of the sort were seriously
entertained at the time, the Due de Penthievre would
ever have allowed the much discussed marriage to
take place, as it finally did some years later. At the
same time, allusions to the culpability of Chartres in
the matter are so universal in the memoirs of the
period that one cannot but suppose him not entirely
innocent,

M. de Lamballe had already had many 'adventures.'
There is an extraordinary story in the memoirs of the
Marquise de Crequy concerning a clandestine marriage
alleged to have been performed, with the connivance
of the Due de Chartres, by one of the chaplains of
the Palais Royal, between Lamballe and a beautiful
peasant girl, Genevieve Galliot, with whom he had
fallen in love during his solitary and delicate youth
in the castle of Anet. Genevieve was one of the
favourite models of Greuze, and the much admired

INTRIGUES OF THE PRINCE 23

' Cruche Cass^e ' was probably painted from her. After
the marriage, being fearful of informing his father,
the boy-prince took a little house for his wife at
Clamart-sous-Meudon, where she lived as Madame
de St. Paer ; but he quickly tired of her, neglected
her society, and at last she took poison and died.
M. de Penthievre heard the story, and acknowledged
his daughter-in-law on her deathbed. She was
buried in the cathedral at Dreux beside his wife,
the late Princess of Modena, and two years later the
Prince de Lamballe married Mademoiselle de Savoy-
Carignan.

It is scarcely necessary to point out the discrepan-
cies with which this story teems. To take one
instance out of many, the Penthifevre coffins were not
removed from Rambouillet to Dreux till 178.3, and
the whole tale may very well be set down as one of
the unfounded rumours of the period ; but there is
unfortunately no question about the more disgraceful
affairs in which this unhappy young man was in-
volved only five months after his marriage. First
came an intrigue with a young comedy actress,
Mdlle. de la Chassaine, who was ' plain and un-
interesting,' say contemporary chroniclers, but who
bragged openly of her power over him. Bachaumont,
in whose Secret Memoirs most of the scandals of
the day find a delighted place, notes on the 28th July
that ' Mdlle. de la Chassaine, a young actress of the
ComtJdie Frangaise, and niece of Mdlle. de la Motte,

24 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

ancient coryphee of that theatre, is to-day the object
of the attention and jealousy of all her comrades.
Although not pretty, and of very mediocre talent,
she has been honoured with the favours of the young
Prince de Lamballe, but newly married.' The
scandal soon leaked out, and naturally could not be
kept long from the ears of the young Princesse. She
had always been rather delicate in health, and the
shock of this sudden disillusionment was terrible to
her youth and innocence. She loved her husband
with real tenderness, and had believed most sincerely
in his affection for her. What she now heard
appeared absolutely impossible. She became alarm-
ingly ill, fell from fainting fit to fainting fit, was
attacked with convulsions, and the good Due de
Penthievre was in despair for her.

Bored, and quite careless of her grief, the Prince
declared himself watched too well at home, and left
the Hotel de Toulouse, in order to be more free.
His father followed him, himself interviewed La
Chassaine, promised to care for her and her expected
child if she would immediately leave the country,
and by means of pathetic adjurations induced Lam-
balle to return home. For a short while all was
forgiveness and peace. La Chassaine went to Russia
and pursued her wiles on others; but almost im-
mediately a fresh infatuation seized the young Prince
for another actress, Mdlle. de la Foret, a woman of
very low class ; and he again forsook his wife for

DISILLUSION 25

her. In the end of September La For^t disappeared,
and on the 4th November Bachaumont chronicles :
'We have mentioned the flight of Mdlle. de la
Foret, to the great regret of a young prince lately
married, who had conceived a dangerous passion for
her. We now know the cause of this precipitate
action. Her lover had presented her with a large
part of the princess's diamonds. ... At last she
has been wise enough to present herself to the Due
de Penthievre, father of the young prince, bringing
the diamonds, and throwing herself upon her knees
to implore his mercy. The Due seemed satisfied
with this step, said he would have the diamonds
valued and their worth paid her, that she need not
fear, his son was alone to blame ; that he would care
for her child if she had one, and would in any case
see to her needs, but that she must never again see
the young prince her lover.'

It may easily be understood, since so much as this
of the story became publicly known, that a good deal
more lay behind, and its effect upon the unfortunate
wife of Lamballe was hardly surprising. Bachaumont
continues with gusto the following day : ' A young
princess, lively and amiable, married last winter to a
husband young also, has not been able to support
tranquilly her husband's reiterated infidelities, fatal
as they have been to her love for this modern Theseus.
She has not been able to see without marked jealousy
his absence and his errors, has conceived envy for the

26 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

despicable objects whom the prince honours with his
regards, and has contracted a profound melancholy and
convulsive vapours. The fashionable doctors cannot
cure this more mental than physical disease, and she
has placed herself in the hands of one called Pittara,
a charlatan much in vogue. Many women of the
court have tried him, and Madame la Duchesse de
Mazarin having spoken of him to the princess, she has
lately called him to attend upon her.' Pittara does
not, however, seem to have done her much good ; and
all her life after she suffered in nerves and vitality
from the cruelty, neglect, and humiliation her husband
had put upon her.

La Foret having also been disposed of, M. de Pen-
thievre cherished hopes that his son would at last
reform his ways ; but the new year, 1 768, brought no
improvement. Lamballe disappeared once more, and
his father found him, after a long search, miserably
ill and in disreputable company. His associates were
paid off, and he was carried home to the castle of
Luciennes, where his wife still waited for him, ready
even now to love and forgive. But by this time he
was beyond reclaiming. No useful purpose would be
served by enumerating the sordid incidents of the
months that followed : such things are best forgotten.
The wretched young man sank into utter depravity ;
refused to remain with his relatives ; wandered from
excess to excess ; and at last, in the beginning of May,
was brought home to Luciennes by his father for the

DEATH OF THE PRINCE 27

last time — to die. He had fallen from his horse, and
sustained injuries which necessitated an operation,
from which his ruined constitution was too weakly
to recover. His wife and sister, tender and loving
women both, nursed him devotedly in so far as they
were permitted, and, perhaps owing to their ministra-
tions, his end was kinder than it might have been ;
but on the incidents of that deathbed it is not good
to linger. On the 6 th May it was announced : 'M. le
Prince de Lamballe is absolutely without hope, and
only lives in fever. . . . Madame la Princesse de
Conti and Madame la Comtesse de la Marche are
at Luciennes, and keep company with the desolate
family. For the rest, the Prince makes a good end,
and Father Imbert has confessed him.' He declared
himself repentant at the last, received the sacrament
devoutly, and after agonies of suffering, expired on
Friday, the 7th May 1768, at half-past eight in the
morning. It was just over fifteen months since that
radiant day at Nangis, when husband and wife met
and loved for the first time.

The funeral procession started from Luciennes
shortly before midnight the same evening, and
reached Rambouillet, where the interment took place,
early next day. It consisted of three carriages with
six horses each, several valets carrying torches, a
hundred poor people, and a few friends of the family :
neither father, widow, nor sister of the deceased being
present. Probably by the Due de Penthievre's wish.

28 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

the official intimation of his son's death in the Gazette
de France closed with the words : ' One cannot too
highly praise the sentiments of piety and resignation
and the courage which this prince has shown during
his long sufferings until the close of his life. The
court will take mourning for ten days in consequence
of this death.' A Prince of the Blood lay dead, and
sympathy for the bereaved father and widow was
wide and deep. The peculiar circumstances of their
trouble were well known, and the first time the Due
de Penthievre appeared at court after his sou's death,
Louis XV. said to those surrounding him, ' That is the
noblest man in my kingdom, and the most unhappy
father.' As for the eighteen-year-old widow, all hope
and happiness seemed vanished for ever from her skies.
Her health had failed, her illusions were wrecked, her
memories embittered. She determined to leave the
world for ever, and began hasty preparations for a
lifelong retirement to the Abbey of St. Antoine.

GRIEF OF THE PRINCESSE 29

CHAPTER IV

1768-70

Only at the last moment did the Due de Penthievre
persuade his daughter-in-law, whom he loved as his
own child, to renounce her intention of taking the
veil, at any rate for a time, and to remain with him.
Many excellent people can give better advice to
others than they will follow themselves, and though
Penthievre had himself hastened to a monastery in
the days of his own great grief, he saw very well
that the Princesse, hysterical, imaginative, and on
the verge of melancholia, needed far more some quiet
change of scene and surroundings than the long hours
of morbid introspection a convent life would force
upon her. He therefore gave more rein to his own
grief than he would otherwise have done, implored
her not to desert him in his sorrow, and spoke of his
broken-hearted solitude should she still choose to go.
He had indeed been the best of friends to her, and
under these circumstances she could not feel it pos-
sible to leave him. She therefore promised they
should remain together always, and they left Luci-
ennes, the scene of so many sad and painful memories,

30 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

for Rambouillet, where they could steep themselves
in the calm and peace of a country life.

The chateau of Eambouillet stood some thirty
miles from Paris, in vast grounds and forest lands of
its own. One learns a good deal of the life there
from Florian, the favourite poet-page of Penthievre,
and later in life his secretary and friend. The Due
had customarily eight pages at a time, the four elder
to travel with him, and the four younger to remain
in waiting at Versailles. Florian's father had been
standard-bearer to him at the battle of Fontenoy,
and Florian himself was a favoured mortal, nicknamed
' Polichinelle ' by the Due. At this time he was the
youngest and smallest of all the pages, being only
twelve and made on a very minute scale. At first
he feared the Due would not think him handsome
enough to remain in his service, but Penthievre was
ever quick to recognise talent, and as years went on
little Florian became a lifelong friend to him and all
his house. The boy only remained six months at
Versailles, and was then sent for to be in constant
attendance on the two princesses, Penthievre's
daughter and daughter-in-law.

Life at Rambouillet was very quiet indeed, and the
chief amusement, delight, and occupation of the Due
was in administering to the needs of the poor on his
estate. Helping him in this, the Princesse de Lam-
balle first regained some interest in life ; and the
names of both were blessed for miles around. He

LIFE AT RAMBOUILLET 31

was called King of the Poor, and she the Good Angel
of Penthievre. Together they went out, day after
day, often disguised, on charitable missions, and
more than once were seen and wondered at by trains
of gay courtiers hunting with the King. For one of
Penthievre's greatest trials was that Louis xv. many
years before, casting envious eyes over the glorious
parks and forest glades of Rambouillet, had begged to
be allowed to build a small hunting pavilion in the
grounds, a request which could not very well be refused,
though it was with much reluctance it was granted.
Nor had the King honestly kept his word, for instead
of a pavilion, a castle was built, and this chateau of
St. Hubert, frequented often by very questionable
society, was a constant annoyance to the good Due,
being within his own borders and close to his own
dwelling. Still, there was no help for it, and on the
whole the inhabitants of these two very different
strongholds saw but Uttle of each other.

On one occasion, however, when the King and his
court had been hunting all day, by some mistake the
supper ordered to be sent out from Versailles never
arrived : it had been sent to another hunting castle in
error. All were exceedingly hungry, and it was ten
o'clock at night when somebody suggested adjourn-
ing to Rambouillet, where the Due de Penthievre
would surely bestow some charity upon his starv-
ing monarch. The idea was promptly acted upon ;
but, Rambouillet reached, every salon was searched

32 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

without revealing the master, till at last the unin-
vited guests penetrated to the kitchen, where M. de
Penthievre was discovered in cap and apron, stirring
an immense caldron from which issued a most
appetising smell. Not at all taken aback, he re-
ceived his visitors with the greatest hospitality, and
explained that once a month he personally super-
intended the preparation of the meal provided daily
for the poor on his estate, and that if his Majesty
would deign to partake of it, he should be greatly
honoured. The King and court, we read, were much
struck with this practical object-lesson in charity, and
virtuously sat down and ate up the paupers' dinner
on the spot ; whether the belated supper was given to
the poor next day instead, history does not relate,
but one hopes the idea occurred to somebody. It is
a curious fact that when the Eevolution broke over
France, Eambouillet was never injured, but the
notorious chateau de St. Hubert was one of the first
to be levelled to the ground.

The Due de Penthievre's mother had erected a
hospice for the aged poor at Eambouillet, which her
son was ever at pains to maintain as she would have
wished : he also built another on the same lines near
his castle of Crecy, close to Dreux ; and later, when
he sold Crecy to the Princesse de Montmorency, he
moved his poor to a third hospice at St. Just near
Vernon. Bach of these cost him at least 300,000
francs a year, and they were but insignificant items in

THE DUC'S CHARITIES 33

the immense sum of his charities. Endowed with
enormous wealth, the vast sums he gave away each year
would yet be almost incredible if they were not proved
by the actual accounts of ' this divine man, whose
history should properly be written with the heart
rather than the hand,' as one of his biographers has
described him. Not content with inviting any poor
person to come to his castle for relief, the Due would
sally forth every day in search of some fresh unfor-
tunate to benefit, and would take his sad and gentle
daughter-in-law with him, both of them being quite
disappointed if their ambition of at least one good
deed a day could not be realised. When the Due
bestowed alms, he always bent his head and mur-
mured ' I thank you ' as he gave.

It was all very charming, very ideal, and very
sentimental ; but, at the same time, what was then
regarded as the highest virtue we might to-day look
upon as injudicious, wasteful, and a perfect orgy of
pauperisation. One has of course to remember that
the poor of France at this period — and not only the
poor, but the peasant and working classes also — were
in an absolutely helpless position as regards self-
respect and any attempt at independence. There
was no state organisation or institutions for their
relief ; they were wholly at the mercy of the master
of that estate upon which they chanced to be born ;
and that few were so kind and thoughtful as M. de
Penthievre, the vast vengeance of the French Revolu-

c

34 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

tion will bear witness. A few hanclfuls of gold, how-
ever generously scattered over a few acres of France,
were not sufficient to stem that fearful stoma ; but it
was all that individuals could do, and at Rambouillet
it was nobly done indeed.

Incidentally, and as a recreation, the Due collected
clocks and watches, and took them about with him
wherever he travelled. Usually they were hung up
in an open pavilion in his garden by the river, but he
never feared they would be stolen, and they never
were. He does not appear to have been a very
expert watchmaker, for he could never make them
all keep time together, till once when Florian, burst-
ing suddenly into a room where he sat before them
spread on a bench, clumsily fell over the bench, and
scattered the precious objects on the floor. In an
agony he began to apologise, but the Due stopped
him good naturedly with a ' Well , well, at least you
have accomplished what I never could — they are all
going at once now ! '

Very shortly after the death of the Prince de
Lamballe, the Due de Chartres proposed marriage to
Mademoiselle de Bourbon- Penthievre. The move
was an expected one, but the Due de Penthievre
appears to have returned an evasive answer at first.
Aware, however, that his only child was now of
marriageable age, an heiress, and likely to be much
sought after, he determined that it was time for her
to leave her convent, and sent for her to return

MADEMOISELLE DE BOURBON-PENTHlEVRE 35

home. There was a tearful parting between her and
Mademoiselle de Montigny, who later became the
Baronne de Talleyrand. Both realised that marriages
would shortly be arranged for them, and vowed a
parting vow that their eldest daughters should be
named Eugenie and Adelaide respectively after one
another, an idea that seems to have brought much
consolation to their sad little hearts. Madame de
Lamballe was sincerely glad of the society of her
young sister-in-law, of whom during all her life she
remained very fond, and her health and spirits grew
rapidly better and more serene. Indeed, a quiet and
country life was always the best for her, and a few
months of the town generally exhausted and tired
her out. The Due de Penthievre, however, did not
wish her to be absent for ever from court, and he
sold a house he had at Puteaux and bought one at
Passy, in order that his two young ' daughters ' might
be within reach of gaiety if they desired it, while at
the same time a moderate seclusion could always be
theirs.

The Court of France was for the moment of a very
different character from what it had been the previous
year. Queen Maria Leczinska died in June 1768.
She had never, it is true, possessed much influence
with the King or court, being a sad and melancholy
lady, who carried with her everywhere a skull, sup-
posed to be that of Ninon de I'Enclos, which she
treated as a favourite toy, and addressed always as

36 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

' La Mignonne.' Her death, however, following not
very long on that of his only son and daughter-in-
law, plunged Louis xv. suddenly into incontrollable
grief and remorse, and all those about the court
pulled long faces, wore heavy mourning, sighed, and
sung psalms. Madame Adelaide, the King's eldest
daughter, a clever woman of thirty-six, perfectly
realised that this mood of her father's would not last
for long. The alternative was a new wife or another
Madame de Pompadour, and of the two the former
was immeasurably to be preferred ; so she cast about
for a suitable object, young, pretty, and not too
influential, that the King might be absorbed in her
charms, and leave all politics to Adelaide herself.
She found, as she thought, the very person needful in
the Princesse de Lamballe. The King had always
admired the Princesse, and was perfectly prepared to
be attracted by her ; the tinge of melancholy in her
youth and gentleness pleased his present mood ; the
de Noailles family (relatives of the late Duchesse de
Penthievre) were greatly in favour of the match ; and
for a time it really seemed hopeful of accomplishment.
But the jaded fancy of the satyr King needed a
constant and energetic attention ; where he loved
again the lady must at least do the best part of the
wooing ; and this rdle pride, race, native refinement,
and her own instincts forbade the Princesse to accept.
She was perfectly courteous to the ' well-beloved '
monarch when in his presence, but would go no step

MADAME DUBARRY 37

further ; not ambitious for place and already dis-
illusioned with the glitter of life, she shrank rather
from all public appearances that were not absolutely
necessary, and it is indeed doubtful if she ever realised
that she might, if she chose, become Queen of France.
The Due de Penthievre did not encourage the idea,
and the Due de Choiseul worked steadily against it.
A counter attempt was made to arrange an alliance
between the King and the Archduchess Elizabeth,
daughter of the Empress Maria Theresa, but this also
fell through ; and eventually Louis became acquainted
with Mdlle. Lange, who had no scruples about attract-
ing him and exploiting his affection. His infatuation
for her grew apace ; she became Comtesse Dubarry ;
and all hopes of a respectable court passed for the
remainder of his reign. The Penthievre family stayed
aloof and in the country as much as possible.

First, however, the object of their return to court
was accomplished in the presentation of Mademoiselle
de Bourbon-Penthievre. The King of Denmark
visited France in November, and grand fetes were
given for his entertainment by all the chief nobles :
among others, one by the Due de Penthievre at the Hotel
de Toulouse, and one by the Due d'OrMans at the Palais
Royal. In these Mademoiselle of course took part,
but she was not actually presented till the 7th Decem-
ber, by the Comtesse de la Marche, the Princesse de
Lamballe's mourning being still too deep for her to
perform this oflice. The following day the debutante

38 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

was baptized under the names of Louise Marie Ade-
laide, by the Archbishop of Rheims, Grand Almoner
of France, the Dauphin and Madame Adelaide
standing sponsors, and the King and court being
present. This supplementary ceremony was, it seems,
quite customary for young people of good family on
their first appearance at court, the baptism at birth
being strictly private. Mademoiselle de Bourbon-
Penthievre is described as very pretty, very light-
hearted, and very fond of pretty clothes, gaiety,
amusement, and getting her own way. The poor
child was not, however, destined to a particularly
radiant life. The question of her marriage with the
Due de Chartres was soon raised again, and the
Baronne d'Oberkirch has given us some account of
the transaction, which is probably very fairly correct.
The Abb^ de Breteuil, chancellor to the Due d'Orl^ans,
she says, first suggested the idea of the marriage
before the death of the Prince de Lamballe ; but as
co-heiress only, Orleans did not consider Mademoi-
selle's dowry would be sufficient for the honour of
alliance with his house. Penthievre, as descended
from Madame de Montespan, bore of course the bar
sinister, while Orleans was a younger branch of the
royal family of France itself; and indeed at this
time the Due de Chartres stood actually fifth in the
succession to the crown, only his father and the three
grandsons of the King, still unmarried, ranking
before him. When M. de Lamballe was known to be

PROPOSALS FOR MADEMOISELLE 39

gravely ill, the Abb6 de Breteuil again put forward
his suggestion, and this time the Due d' Orleans
thought better of it, and asked the Due de Choiseul
to act for him in the matter. The Prince de Conde
also at this time wished to obtain the hand of
Mademoiselle for his own son, and asked Choiseul's
intervention, but his good offices were already be-
spoken. The Due de Penthievre did not jump very
eagerly at the ofier, for he was not particularly fond
of Chartres; however, the alliance would be an im-
portant one, and he finally agreed, but would only
promise his daughter fifty thousand crowns a year,
since his son still lived, and he at least had not given
up all hopes of his recovery. Orleans was indignant
at the smallness of the sum, and promptly withdrew
his ofier ; Penthievre was furious at the insult,
Choiseul angry at being mixed up in the affair, Cond^
hopeful for his own claims. Shortly after this the
Priace de Lamballe died, and Orleans again made
overtures. Still deeply offended, it is doubtful if the
Due de Penthievre would have listened to the suit,
had it not received an unexpected championship from
Mademoiselle herself. She had once met the Due de
Chartres at the house of a relative, and he had given
her his arm to her carriage ; no doubt his fascinating
manners and his royal blood seemed to her romantic
soul eminently desirable, and she had dreamed of him
ever since. She was wilful, pretty, young, and her
father's only child ; so she obtained her wish, and the

40 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

Due de Penthievre at last consented to ask the King's
permission for the marriage.

Certainly, though in the light of later events we
know more of his character to-day, it is plain that
Chartres must have been a very engaging rascal.
The Princesse de Lamballe, who cared little ever for
men's society, and had besides small cause for interest
in him, yet liked him so well that many a time she
intervened to spare him royal displeasure in days
when he was anything but popular at court. Marie
Antoinette, in her early days in France, in spite of
being warned against him, enjoyed his society, and
accepted innocently his sinister compliments until
such time as the storm threatened, and she found
division all too clear between her true friends and
foes. Louis xv., however, hated all the Orleans
family, and brought up his grandsons to believe that
Chartres or his father would stop at nothing to secure
the throne, to which they held reversionary rights ;
this feeling was implanted especially strongly in the
eldest of them, who disliked and distrusted Chartres
all his life with, as the sequel showed, but too good a
cause. The old King would not, however, actually
refuse permission when the Due de Penthievre asked
his consent, although he held very strong feelings
against it. ' I cannot be pleased,' he said, ' that a
prince of our younger branch should become richer
than my own grandchildren ; very awkward compli-
cations might arise from it. But since the throne is

MARRIAGE OF THE DUG DE CHARTRES 41

secured in the direct line through my three grand-
sons, I will not oppose the desired alliance. Only,
mark my words, your daughter will not be happy.'
Penthievre sighed, thinking this very probable, but
Mademoiselle was radiant and determined, and so the
negotiations proceeded.

Louis announced the marriage to his court early
in January 1769, but there were further delays;
Chartres, having satisfactorily settled his future, being
a little loth to resign his liberty ; and the wedding
did not actually take place till the 5th April at
Versailles. It was a very great affair, the King him-
self being present at the very select royal banquet in
the evening. Only twenty-one covers were laid, and
we are told that twelve of these were for young
princelings in the very flower of their age. The new
Duchesse de Chartres was much f^ted by all her
relatives and the great nobles of the court ; the
Prince de Conde, her uncle, gave a grand entertain-
ment in especial for her at his country house at Issy.
The Due de Lauzun was a great friend of the Due de
Chartres, but was not present at his wedding, being
absent at the time in Corsica, else we might have
had some curious details of the occasion. At the
recent marriage of a friend, the Comte de Fitz- James,
Chartres had given what he called a Souper des
Veuves the night before, at which all the ladies
present appeared — with some reason — in widow's
garb ; and it is said that the first time after his own

42 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

marriage that he and the young Duchesse appeared
in public at one of the opera balls, certain women
again made ostentatious figures in heavy black.
'However, they had not long to wait,' remarks
cynical Lauzun.

As to the good Due de Penthievre, ' My daughter
has passed into another house,' said he, ' but my poor
daughter-in-law has come to replace her beneath my
roof,' and as a child of his own indeed he treated her.
Together they went back to Rambouillet, travelled
on his various estates, visited their relatives, and
lived a calm, peaceful, and happy life, chiefly occupied
with the doing of good to others.

THE AUSTRIAN MATCH 43

CHAPTEE V

1770-4

Perhaps stirred to it by this Orleans wedding, which
he so mucli disliked, the King now considered it high
time to look about for wives for his own grandsons.
In 1770 Louis the Dauphin was sixteen; shy, awk-
ward, ill-mannered, but still the heir to France ; and
a bride was found him in a daughter of the imperious
Maria Theresa, Empress of Austria and Queen of
Hungary. The Austrian alliance was welcomed by
some and hated by others, but it was for the
Austrian alliance alone that the match was made,
the person of the bride herself counting for very
little. She was, as a matter of fact, an eager, thin,
ill-educated, immature child of fourteen, 'a little
red-haired thing,' the hitherto triumphant Dubarry
termed her ; and at first it seemed as if her coming
could make little possible difference at the court of
France. For herself, no doubt, freedom from the
stern rule of her Empress-Mother meant no small
thing, and to be first lady of a kingdom counted for
still more ; but so far she looked upon all these
matters with the eyes of a child. Scarcely pretty.

44 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

yet with irregular features and the Hapsburg mouth,
she still brought with her a sense of youth and
joyous freshness which must have been very pleasant
to an atmosphere musty with ancient scandals and
stale with worn-out intrigues. In the whole course
of history there is perhaps no individual character
which so completely develops before our very eyes as
that of Marie Antoinette ; and if one were not able
so closely to follow her every step in the long ladder
of her schooling, it would be almost impossible to
recognise in the worn, red-eyed widow of 1793 the
eager, ignorant, bright-eyed child of 1770.

So important a wedding in the royal family
implied many changes at court ; and most of the
ancient nobUity, which had of late somewhat effaced
itself from the royal orgies and retired to its several
estates, became now anxious once more to claim its
every privilege. Hundreds of magnificent presents
rained in upon the future Dauphiness from every one
of position in the kingdom, and that sent by the
Princesse de Lamballe may still be seen in the
private apartments at Versailles : a handsome clock,
upheld by allegorical figures representing love,
fertility, and fecundity. Many were the fetes and
entertainments devised in honour of the coming
bride, and surely never was princess made more
enthusiastically welcome among the people of her
adoption than she to whom that people were ulti-
mately to assign a cruel and shameful death. The

ARRIVAL OF THE DAUPHINESS 45

actual marriage took place by proxy at Vienna on
May 16th, and immediately afterwards the Dau-
phiness set off for France, where she was welcomed
by the King and her unknown husband at the bridge
of Berne, just beyond Compi^gne. Tradition has
it that Louis xv., who still cherished a profound
admiration for the young Princesse de Lamballe, him-
self presented her to her future queen and friend at
the foot of the great stairs at Compiegne ; and
though the incident is not authentic, it may quite
possibly have happened so. The more formal record
tells that it was not till the Dauphiness had reached
her private apartments that the King introduced to
her the Due d'Orleans, the Due and Duchesse de
Chartres, the Due and Duchesse de Bourbon, the
Comte and Comtesse de la Marche, the Due de
Penthi^vre, and the Princesse de Lamballe, 'when
those who were privileged by their blood to kiss the
Dauphiness had that honour.' Marie Antoinette, we
are told, was at once attracted to the Princesse, but
she, whose emotions were not now to be so quickly
roused, gracefully withdrew from publicity as soon as
she was able.

The quarrels over precedence at the Lamballe
wedding were but a faint foreshadowing of the bitter
feuds that raged around the same subject during the
festivities attending the royal marriage. Chiefly,
anger was aroused by the Comtesse de Brionne (a
very ambitious woman, by birth a de Rohan Roche-

46 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

fort), who had persuaded the King to give precedence
to her daughter, Mdlle. de Lorraine, over all the
other young ladies of the court. Several other
families, considering themselves equally noble, in-
dignantly refused to attend any entertainment where
this arrangement was to be allowed ; and at a great
ball, commanded by the King and given by the Due
de Duras, Madame du Deffand says that at five
o'clock, when dancing was supposed to begin, only
three dancers were in the room, the Princesse de
Bouillon and Mdlles. de Lorraine and de Eohan ;
while it was evident that nobody else intended to
arrive. The King sent urgent messages to several
other invited guests, and this being a command they
could not well ignore, by seven o'clock eight or nine
more appeared, suiScient for minuets ; after which
and supper, country dances were enjoyed till ten,
when a display of fireworks and illuminations were
given : these, however, were damp and smoky, and
not a success. The exact order of precedence for
the royal minuets at these marriage festivities was
the Dauphin and Dauphiness, the Comte de Provence
and Madame Adelaide, the Comte d'Artois and the
Duchesse de Chartres, the Due de Chartres and the
Duchesse de Bourbon (his sister), the Prince de
Conde and the Princesse de Lamballe, the Due de
Bourbon and Mdlle. de Lorraine.

The child Dauphiness was queen of the hour, and
where her favours fell, honour was accounted indeed.

THE DAWN OF FRIENDSHIP 47

No doubt the Princesse de Lamballe felt pleased at
the gracious advances made her, but she was still too
dispirited to care to pursue any advantage : she had
lost her grip on life for the time, and nothing seemed
worth troubling herself about. As soon as possible
she and her father-in-law left the court, and returned
to the seclusion of Rambouillet.

In September the Due de Penthievre took his
daughter and daughter-in-law to Havre de Grace for
a change : the Due de Chartres paid them flying
visits here, but his marital duties already sat lightly
upon him, and 'urgent business' invariably called
him away very soon. Later on, we hear that M. de
Penthievre had an attack of illness at his castle of
Cr(5cy, and was devotedly nursed by Mesdames de
Chartres and de Lamballe. The call of the great
world was beginning, however, to sound more loudly
in the ears of the young Princesse ; and at twenty,
with position, beauty, wealth, and a sweet disposi-
tion, it would have been unnatural indeed if the love
of life had not awakened in time to the wooings of
the kind and gracious friendship offered her. The
first exuberance of girlhood was gone, and the love
so cruelly slain in her never bloomed more ; but the
romance of her life was destined to lie in friendship,
and these were its opening days.

Some account of the chief persons in the house-
hold of the Dauphiness will be necessary here.
Madame de Noailles, a relative of the late Duchesse

48 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

de Pentliievre, had been appointed her First Lady of
Honour, and to her fell the duty of selecting the
principal associates of the Dauphiness, giving balls
and parties in her honour, and inviting to them only
those whom she considered suitable friends for a
future queen. So strict and strait-laced were Madame
de Noailles' notions in many respects that the
impatient princess nicknamed her ' Madame Eti-
quette,' the first of many witty hons mots for which
poor Marie Antoinette was afterwards famed and
hated. She was most injudiciously encouraged in
her childish dislike for rule and routine by the Abbe
de Vermond, her secretary, who had been sent to
Vienna to instruct her in the French language
directly her marriage with the Dauphin was
arranged, and who remained in her most intimate
confidence for many years after she came to France.
No doubt the Abb^ was a very worthy man, and in
his way honestly devoted to her interests, but he also
had an axe to grind, and merely proved how im-
possible it is for those in high places to put implicit
trust in any one about them. Endless squabbles
between him and the entourage of the court com-
pelled periodical retirements on his part, but always
he returned to the charge until, with the first blow
struck against the monarchy, he and certain other
hated adherents of Marie Antoinette were forced for
her own sake to leave her. The third and most im-
portant person to whom the Dauphiness might turn

ADVISERS OF THE DAUPHINESS 49

for counsel and advice in her strange and novel
position was the Comte de Mercy - Argentean,
Austrian ambassador at the French court ; and it is
from his minute correspondence with the Empress
Maria Theresa concerning her daughter — correspond-
ence dealing with her friends, her appearance, her
clothing, her manners, her personal cleanliness, and
even her relations with her husband — that our chief
knowledge of the first years of Marie Antoinette in
France are drawn. Mercy was almost a spy upon
the poor child, and no minutest incident or inclina-
tion on her part escaped him ; all were written
straight off to Vienna, and in time somewhat sarcas-
tically commented upon by the Empress herself to
her daughter, a form of chiding which Marie Antoi-
nette seems to have accepted in a most meek and
filial spirit. But in truth there was perhaps no more
lonely woman in France than the envied Dauphiness,
surrounded by political parties which she scarcely
understood, but which nevertheless waited breath-
lessly to pounce upon her slightest indiscretion ; her
natural impulses thwarted ; her husband's aunts on
the watch for ' presumption,' and angered if she
favoured any noble with whom they disagreed ;
above all, seeing little and understanding nothing of
her young husband, who seemed — probably from
shyness — actually to avoid her presence. The
Austrian alliance had been mainly engineered hj
the Due de Choiseul, and six months after it had

50 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

crowned his long influence in the Council, Madame
Dubarry and her party procured his dismissal, thus
withdrawing another friend and counsellor from the
young Dauphiness. More, Choiseul's enemies en-
deavoured to agitate for a divorce, hoping to send
the Austrian jDrincess back to her own country ; and
perhaps, if she had not quite charmed the heart of
the old King, this nefarious plan might have suc-
ceeded ; but Louis xv. would not permit it.

It will be seen, therefore, that the Dauphiness had
real need of a good and intimate friend, though both
Mercy and her mother did their best to keep her
from forming any such attachment, fearing the
immense influence the object of her favour must
necessarily hold. But Marie Antoinette was at an
age when love and confidence were a hunger with
her, and more particularly from her own sex.
Though mortified by her husband's seeming neglect,
she did not really long greatly yet for a man's love ;
but a girl friend she had never been allowed at
Vienna, and the first exercise of her personal liberty
must be to make one.

Checked at first in her attraction to the Princesse
de Lamballe, she turned her smiles upon the
Duchesse de Picquiny, the youngest lady at court,
a clever and rather sarcastic caricaturist and a very
amusing companion. For some weeks the two were
inseparable, and then Madame de Picquiny 's influ-
ence waned ; and in turn Madame de Saint-Megrim,

THE PRINCESSE RETURNS TO COURT 51

Madame de Cosse, the Marquise de Langeac, and
many others basked in periods of favour from the
capricious, imperious, but really warm-hearted young-
princess. None of these lasted for very long, how-
ever, and during the winter after the marriage the
Princesse de Lamballe was frequently invited by
Madame de Noailles to the select little Wednesday
balls given in her apartments for Marie Antoinette,
where once again the Dauphiness pressed her friend-
ship upon the gentle and charming widow, and this
time the attraction seems to have been mutual.

Madame de Lamballe began to find pleasure once
more in life and movement. In February 1771 the
Prince-Eoyal of Sweden and his brother Adolphe
visited the court of France ; and among other enter-
tainments attended a great reception at the Hotel de
Toulouse held by the Due de Penthievre and his
daughter-in-law. Later, the Princesse again assisted
the Due in entertaining another royal guest, the King
of Denmark. She became, too, a frequent attendant at
court, and a still more frequent companion to Marie
Antoinette through her quieter hours, in her garden
and her private apartments. Long afterwards, when
evil days had fallen upon both, the sad-eyed Queen
wrote to this most faithful of her friends : ' How happy
was that time, dear heart, when we read, chatted, and
walked together without being disturbed by the
mob ! ' The rapid growth of so warm a liking was
naturally not lost upon the vigilant Mercy, and early

52 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

in March 1771 he wrote to Maria Theresa: 'For
some time past the Dauphiness has shown a great
affection for the Princesse de Lamballe. . . .
This young princess is sweet and amiable, and en-
joying the privileges of a Princess of the Blood
Royal, is in a position to avail herself of her Royal
Highness's favour.' The Empress does not seem to
have been best pleased, knowing too much of the
history of court favouritism to wish her daughter any
intimate friends ; but certainly, if one had become a
necessity to her, the choice could not have fallen
upon a better person.

Though all her life subject to fits of great nervous
depression, the Princesse seems at this time to have
regained much of the gaiety and light spirits natural
to her youth ; and her semi-royal birth, noble
lineage, and upright principles rendered her an
excellent and charming companion for the volatile
little Dauphiness. Marie Antoinette would not be
content to let her friend remain a widow, and almost
her first care was to seek a suitable husband for her.
The pushing Comtesse de Brionne suggested her son,
the Prince de Lambesc, and at first sight the choice
seemed peculiarly fitting, since Madame de Brionne's
elder daughter was already married to Prince Victor
Carignan, the eldest brotlier of Madame de Lam-
balle. Marie Antoinette enthusiastically promised
her support, and Mercy was obliged to point out to
her that it would be a disastrous thing for the

MARRIAGE OF THE COMTE DE PROVENCE 53

Princesse's position if the marriage took place, since
she would lose all her royal privileges by it, and the
Dauphiness herself would be unable to see her in the
confidential intimacy she now enjoyed. The project
was therefore dropped, and the Princesse herself
does not seem to have felt the slightest interest in it
one way or another.

On Holy Thursday of this year Madame de Lamballe
is mentioned as being present at High Mass in the
Eoyal Chapel ; and in May she accompanied the
court to Fontainebleau to assist in receiving a new
royal bride, the Comtesse de Provence. Disappointed
at having rendered the succession no more secure by
the Dauphin's marriage, Louis xv. determined that
his next grandson, M. de Provence, mvist wed also,
and for his wife was chosen a grand- daughter of the
King of Sardinia, first cousin once removed to the
Princesse de Lamballe. The marriage was as usual
celebrated by proxy, and Madame de Provence, a
plain, conceited girl with ' tolerably fine eyes,' met
her husband and his family first at Fontainebleau,
where no doubt Madame de Lamballe, the only rela-
tion and old friend present, was peculiarly welcome
to her. Many were the receptions given and the
entertainments devised in her honour ; but the
strangest of them all was a fSte champetre given by
the Duchesse de Mazarin at her house on the Quai
Malaquais.

This Duchesse was well known to the society of the

54 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

period, and it was said of her that she had been
endowed at birth with the three fairy gifts of wealth,
duty, and ill-luck. Kind-hearted, very stout, and
possessing some of the finest jewels in France, they yet
never showed to advantage on her rotund little figure:
and however good her intentions were, something
always contrived to interfere with them. Did she
give a supper-party, her best dishes failed her : a ball,
her chief guests were prevented from coming : an
invitation, her servants fell ill : a surprise party, and
nothing would work as she had intended. In short,
the wonder was that she continued to entertain as
indefatigably as ever, and constantly to devise new
amusements, none of which proved ever a success.
For instance, one day at table she had a huge pie
brought in, from which, when opened, a hundred
living birds flew out. She had intended them to
burst into song and charm her guests ; but instead,
startled at the noise and sudden light, they flew
straight for the most sheltered places they could see —
the ladies' headdresses ; and hardly a woman present
but had some five or six of them nestled in the huge
puffs and curls of her coiffure. It may be imagined if
they were grateful to the Duchesse for the originality
of this idea ! Her entertainment for the Comtesse de
Provence was, however, still more amazing. The f^te
was given in two huge salons, divided from each
other by a thin sheet of plate glass : in the one room
sat the guests, and in the other was arranged a minia-

A FfiTE THAT FAILED 55

ture valley, with trees, flowers, winding paths, and
splashing waterfalls. The scene must have been very
pretty, until the grand climax arrived : two shepherd-
esses and a dog drove a flock of sheep and a heifer
across the vale ; but the clapping from the other
room startled the heifer, which made a dash for the
plate glass, smashed it, and rushed in among the
guests, followed by the dog and the whole flock of
sheep. The confasion that ensued passes descrip-
tion : all the ladies were on chairs in the twinkling of
an eye ; the Princesse de Lamballe seems to have
been the most agile of all, for she climbed on to
the high mantel-shelf, ' shrieking,' says disrespectful
Lauzun, ' like a peacock ' ; the royal bride fell into
hysterics ; and it seemed as if pandemonium was let
loose. At last a door was discovered at the back
of the salon, and the affrighted guests escaped and
hurried down to supper, only to learn that in the
alarm the chief part of the supper had been upset on
the stairs, and there was nothing to eat. This enter-
tainment cost 80,000 livres, about £3200.

In spite of her returning gaiety, the Princesse de
Lamballe still devoted much of her time to the Due
de Penthi^vre and to her friend and sister-in-law,
the Duchesse de Chartres. The summer had been very
quietly spent by Madame de Chartres, in the joyful
hope of shortly becoming mother to a prince of the
house of Orleans : her husband was for the time
being quite devoted to her, and all prospects seemed

56 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

particularly happy, when on the 10th October she had
the great disappointment of giving birth to a dead
child. The catastrophe was thought to have been
brought about by her father-in-law insisting that she
should go hunting with him very shortly before her
confinement ; but her health remained delicate for
some time after, and the two following summers she
went to Forges to take the waters ; and at last, on
the 6th October 1773, to her great joy, her eldest
son, the Due de Valois, afterwards King Louis Phi-
lippe, was born. She was a curious blend, this little
Duchesse, of the strongest maternal affections, and a
longing to be in the forefront of fashion. Her head-
dress must always be a little larger, her coiffure more
exaggerated, her costume more pronounced, than those
of any other lady at the court ; and with it all, her
heart was so good and tender, and her nature really
so simple, that she was loved by all ; and long after-
wards, when her husband became the most dangerous
enemy of the royal House of France, Louis xvi. and
his Queen both begged her to understand that their
disfavour had never extended and never could extend
to herself.

The Dauphin and Dauphiness and M. and
Madame de Provence now managed to form a plea-
sant circle among themselves and the intimate
friends of their own age with whom they delighted
to associate ; the Princesse de Lamballe having from
the first been regarded by Marie Antoinette as a

MARRIAGE OF THE COMTE D'ARTOIS 57

relative, and being now almost inseparable from her
side. In the winter there were sleigh drives, with
merry supper-parties after ; in the svimmer the young
people got up little plays, very, very })rivately, and
amused themselves immensely by learning and recit-
ing parts before the Dauphin, the sole audience per-
mitted to witness these entertainments, as nothing
would induce him to act himself. M. de Provence
was always letter perfect ; he was the learned young
man, sometimes regarded as the prig, of the royal
family ; M. d'Artois, gay and fascinating, the
'Prince of Youth,' was not so correct, but threw
more fire into his acting ; the ladies were all and
invariably bad. The Dauphin laughed very much at
anything comical, but tragedy and sentiment bored
him profoundly. The little circle received another
member in November 1773, when the Comte
d'Artois married the younger sister of the Comtesse
de Provence, second of the little Sardinian cousins
whom their grandfather had, at Madame de Lam-
balle's wedding-feast, so devoutly hoped she would
some day see well married to good French husbands.
This princess was very small and ill-shaped, almost
deformed ; her nose was long, and she was not dis-
tinguished in any sense ; but her heart was kind and
her complexion good, and she very soon made many
friends, and was welcomed as one of themselves by
the Dauphiness and her coterie.

It was perhaps unwise, if very natural, that the

58 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

younger generation should thus dissociate itself, in
aims and amusements, from the elder ; but Mesdames
the King's daughters were only too ready to be hurt :
the removal of the centre of card-playing from
Madame Adelaide's rooms to those of the Dauphiness,
though quite correct according to etiquette, gave great
ofi'ence, and the idea of secret meetings and games
still more. Madame Louise, the youngest of the
princesses, had already retired to a convent, but
there were still three of these ladies to conciliate.
Nor was Marie Antoinette discreet in her dealings
with the Dauphin's sisters, though these were not
yet old enough to take part in society, and were
still continuing their education. She insisted on
slighting Clothilde, the elder, a fat, lethargic, kind-
hearted girl, because her attendants flattered her ;
and spoiled little Elizabeth, at that time a thin,
peevish, and delicate child. There were clashings of
criticism, too, concerning the Dauphiness's own edu-
cation ; and though, since for the time she was the
rising star, it did not seem as if criticism could injure
her, ill-will and spite were already storing up vials to
descend some day, not only upon the head of Marie
Antoinette, but also upon that of the most devoted of
her friends.

THE HAPPIEST YEAR 59

CHAPTER VI

1774

In the history of every friendship may be read a
rise, a climax, and a decline. In most cases the
friendship after drifts to a natural end ; in some
all this is but the merest prelude to the love that is
stronger than neglect, despair, and death.

1774 was perhaps the happiest year in the whole
life of the Princesse de Lamballe. She had sur-
mounted her first reluctance once more to open her
heart to any human being ; she had found a real glow
of pleasant warmth in the genuine affection between
herself and the Dauphiness, and her love was hence-
forth true, tender, and lasting, if never so demon-
strative as that of Marie Antoinette. It was, as has
before been said, the age of great friendships : girls,
and even grown women, carried the miniature of
another woman about them in a locket, bracelet, or
other ornament, would draw it out occasionally when
in company, gaze fondly upon it and press it to their
lips ; wrote long and loverlike letters to the beloved
object, awaited her coming ardently, and wept storms
of tears at her departure. The little Dauphiness took

60 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

the disease badly ; the Prineesse de Lamballe more
calmly, but her very serenity added to her charm.
The Dauphiness would go uowhere without her. We
find her name at every court festivity, every state
function ; she was present at the gala performance of
Gluck's Iphigenia, a brilliant and enthusiastic spec-
tacle, and it became obvious that there was no surer
way to please Marie Antoinette than to offer some
honour to the Prineesse de Lamballe.

Suddenly, in May, the whole court was thrown
into consternation : the old King had taken small-
pox in its most virulent form. The treatment for
smallpox was not very well understood in those days,
and Louis xv. was a bad subject for any disease ;
there was not, from the beginning, the least hope
that he could recover. On the 10th May he died,
and Louis and Marie Antoinette, boy and girl of
twenty and eighteen, were King and Queen of
Fra,nce. The Comtesse de Noailles brought them the
news, and they both fell on their knees together
where they stood, and cried with tears : ' God !
help and protect us ! We are indeed too young
to reign.'

Mesdames, the new King's aunts, had nobly nursed
their father through his very trying and dangerous
illness, the result being that they contracted the
disease themselves, but ultimately recovered. In
fear lest the three young royal couples of the next
generation might do the same, they were promptly

DEATH OF LOUIS XV. 61

hurried into quarantine by the doctor's advice, and
the King and his two brothers were inoculated.
This and the court mourning kept them very quiet
for a time, and the Queen began to see more of her
husband, between whom and herself a feeling of
greater liking and sympathy sprang up. It was
as well Marie Antoinette had this consolation and
interest, since, for the moment, she was separated
from her friend. The Duchesse de Chartres, who
had for long been in very poor health, fell into so
great an agitation at the news of the King's tragic
death that her sister-in-law carried her away
early in June to rest quietly in the society of
her father.

Meanwhile, the new court at Versailles was rapidly
settling itself upon very different lines from the old.
The aunts recovered from their smallpox ; mourning
diminished ; and all those who had slighted Marie
Antoinette in the days when it seemed possible
she might be sent back to Austria, now became
humbly apologetic, and, viewing in her the power
of the moment, cringed for forgiveness and favour.
To all these her answer was noble and reassuring
— ' The Queen does not avenge the Dauphiness.'
Nevertheless, it was but natural that her first wish
should be to find some post of special honour for
her dearest friend ; and since the influence of the
Queen's friend promised to become even more im-
portant than that of the friend of the Dauphiness,

62 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

the ever-watchful Mercy was quick to note which
way the wind blew. ' Her Majesty continually sees
the Princesse de Lamballe in her rooms,' he had
written to the Empress early in June, the very day
after the Princesse had left the court with her sister-
in-law ; and he adds : ' This lady joins to much sweet-
ness a very sincere character, far from intrigue and
all such worries. The Queen has conceived for some
time a real friendship for this young Princess, and
the choice is excellent, for although a Piedmontese,
Madame de Lamballe is not at all identified with the
interests of Mesdames de Provence and d'Artois.
All the same, I have taken the precaution to point
out to the Queen that her favour and goodness to
the Princesse de Lamballe are somewhat excessive,
in order to prevent abuse of them from that
quarter.'

To Mercy it seemed impossible that royal favour
should ever be sought without some ulterior object,
and Maria Theresa was still more sceptical. More-
over, the two Italian princesses married to the two
next heirs, and her own daughter being still child-
less, rendered the Empress uneasy and distrustful ;
and she replied to her faithful ambassador a week
later that, ' In s|)ite of all the good qualities that the
Princesse de Lamballe possesses, her Piedmont birth
must always warn my daughter to limit her con-
fidence in her. I fear greatly the Piedmont party
may gain much steady influence in the French court.'

THE KING'S APPROVAL 63

The young King Louis xvi., however, so far as his
opinion apjjeared upon the surface at all, seemed
pleased at his wife's choice of a friend ; and Weber,
the Queen's foster-brother, who had followed in her
service from Vienna, reports that, meeting her one
day in a passage, Louis said abruptly : ' I am
delighted to see that Madame de Lamballe is con-
stantly with you : are you then very fond of her ? '
To which, with smiles and tears, Marie Antoinette
replied, ' Ah, sire, the Princesse de Lamballe's friend-
ship is the charm of my life.'

At times, indeed, during her whole life, the Queen
chose for the moment very erratic friends ; she had
a craving to be loved, to inspire interest apart from
her rank ; and in her position such sentiments were
very hard to Avin. But the year before, for instance,
she had taken a sudden liking for a young actress,
Mdlle. Rancourt, which fancy gave violent offence
to the Marquise de Langeac, her last favourite, who
wept and raved of inconstancy, to all of which
hysterics Marie Antoinette remained quite in-
different. Her fancy for the Eancourt passed
swiftly enough, and all these women stood in a
totally different relation to her from the Princesse
de Lamballe, who, by birth, nature, and disposition,
was more fitted to be her real intimate. Of all
the many friends with which his wife surrounded
herself during his reign, too, there was no question
which Louis the King liked best. Most of them

64 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

bored when they did not actively annoy him, but
the Princesse de Lamballe was always and to the
end his tres chere cousine, and this no empty form
of words.

Casting about for some means by which to do
unusual honour to her friend, the Queen discovered
that some thirty years before, the office of Superin-
tendent of the Household to the Queen had been
held by Mdlle. de Clermont, daughter of the Due
de Bourbon, but since her death the post had been
allowed to lapse. This seemed the very thing she
wanted, and she eagerly demanded it for her friend.
But jealousies were already floating about the name
of Lamballe, and at this suggestion they crystallised
into a determined and universal opposition. Objec-
tions to the plan arose from all sides. The post
was an unnecessary one and a great expense to the
nation ; the power it bestowed was too great to vest
in the hands of one woman ; it had been allowed
to lapse for very good reasons, and it would be
absurd to revive it now. The powers of such a
superintendent were indeed immense. No order in
the palace could be carried out without her per-
mission, not even if given by the Queen herself;
she had complete authority over all the Queen's
ladies, and took precedence even of the Lady of
Plonour, a prospect which did not at all please the
Comtesse de Noailles, ' Madame Etiquette,' who at
present held the unique position of chief lady to

STATE VISIT TO BRITTANY 65

Her Majesty. Madame de Noailles had been very-
kind to the Princesse de Lamballe, and was, more-
over, related to her husband's family; it would not
therefore be right or wise to insult her by placing
so young a lady over her head. Turgot, the Minister
of Finance, also strongly opposed the plan on the
ground of expense, and at last the Queen was obliged
for the time to let it drop. Mercy had plainly been
anxious about the matter, and one can almost hear
the sigh of relief with which he wrote to his Empress
in the end of September that 'there has been much
jealousy about the Princesse de Lamballe, but she is
now soon going to Brittany. The Queen may have
made use of her, but she has not been able to make
use of the Queen.'

This expedition to Brittany, the first service the
Princesse and her father-in-law were to render their
new sovereigns, was a somewhat onerous and difficult
task. There had been disturbances in the province,
the States were to be held there during the winter,
and the King, unable to preside over them himself,
sent for the Due de Penthievre, for whom he had
the greatest reverence and admiration, and implored
him on this occasion to represent the majesty of
France. The Due had lived much in retirement
of late, and did not greatly care for the responsibility,
but he saw its necessity, set his own feelings aside,
and accepted the post. ' Make me loved ! ' was the
rather pathetic adjuration of the young King, to

66 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

which the Due promised his best endeavours ; and
indeed, for a monarch of twenty, hitherto always
considered shy, backward, and set in the shade by
his younger brothers, Louis deserves much praise
for the opening actions of his reign and the manner
in which they were performed. Had his kind heart
and strong common sense only not lacked decision
of character, history might have written a different
chapter for France, but all this was yet to be
evolved.

The Due de Penthi^vre and the Princesse de
Lamballe set out for Brittany on the 14th December,
and reached Eennes three days later, making a quiet
and incognito entrance into the town. On Tuesday
the 20 th the Due opened the States. Both he and
his charming daughter-in-law had a most enthusiastic
reception, and if there had been disaffection before,
they certainly left none behind them : the visit was
an unqualified success, and lasted the better part
of two months. During this time open house was
kept, and very lavishly : the leavings from table
alone, it was said, were sufficient to feed four hundred
poor people. Madame de Lamballe went about the
town on foot, even through the snow, visiting the
churches and the people, and noting down the names
of poor children who might be eligible for St. Cyr.
The only possible contretemps occurred in connection
with a musical piece entitled ' The Coronation of
a King,' written by a barrister of Rennes, and per-

LETTER FROM MARIE ANTOINETTE 67

formed in State for the first time before the Due
and his suite. With incredible tactlessness and
ill- taste, the author, in praising Louis xvi., had
thought fit to cast ridicule upon his predecessor ;
and Penthievre, who had known and served the
old king in his prime, was most indignant at such
baseness. His first desire was to punish the unhappy
poet, but anxious to leave no unpleasant memories
of his visit, he contented himself with forbidding any
further representations. Early in January a deputa-
tion of Bretons waited upon the Due to implore him
to be their Lieutenant-General in Chief, and to accept
100,000 livres as a mark of their affection and regard,
together with a beautiful diamond ornament for the
Princesse de Lamballe ; but he declined all, exclaim-
ing, 'I ask no honours; I ask your hearts.' And,
' They are yours ! ' cried the enthusiastic Bretons.

Meanwhile Marie Antoinette had not forgotten her
friend. Letters flew from Versailles to Rennes, and
the Queen was still privately agitating for the
appointment she desired. In the end of December
she wrote : ' I need not tell you, my dear Lamballe,
of the pleasure I have had in receiving news of you.
. . . You go out every day among your Bretons ;
you trample on etiquette ; you live for distributing
alms. What a life of happiness ! How I envy you,
my darling friend ; I who am chained up in my
Versailles, bound by every kind of etiquette and
formality; and still worse, am far from you. I

68 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

would tell you to come back quickly, if you were
not so busy doing good. Adieu, my dear heart!
I love you and embrace you with all my soul.
Marie Antoinette.'

When at last the visit to Brittany was drawing to
a close, the Queen implored her friend to return at
once, even before the Due de Penthievre, since she
could not endure another day without her company.
Nor was she to pause an instant on reaching Ver-
sailles, even to change her dress, but to hasten
immediately to the Queen's apartments. The wish
was obeyed ; and on entering the Queen's favourite
room, the Princesse, to her surprise, perceived herself
reflected in the great mirror opposite in a different
costume from that she was then wearing. Marie
Antoinette had had her friend's picture painted on
the looking-glass, in order that she might deceive
herself, and looking up suddenly, imagine the
Princesse to be upon the threshold of her room.
But now the Princesse herself stood there, and in
another moment the friends were in one another's
arms.

THE QUEEN'S DETERMINATION 69

CHAPTER VII

1775

Since the new reign, Madame de Noailles' quiet little
parties had been given up, and the Queen now gave
her own balls, and invited all who cared to come. It
was to a very gay and lively court that the Princesse
de Lamballe returned in the early February of 1775.
The Archduke Maximilien, brother of Marie Antoi-
nette, arrived during this month to pay an informal
visit to his sister, travelling incognito as the Comte
de Burgan, and a few very select parties were given
in his honour, at all of which Madame de Lamballe
was accorded a distinguished place. It was pretty
generally understood by now that the Queen was
determined to have her Superintendent sooner or
later, and though there were still difficulties to over-
come, opposition was already weakening. Mercy
tried to reassure his Empress in the same breath with
himself this winter, by remarking that it would be
impossible for such a plan to take effect while the
Duchesse de Coss^ remained in waiting, and her term
of office did not expire for two years, while much
might occur in that time. He also pointed out that

70 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

the health of the Princesse was bad ; she suifered from
nerves, convulsions, fainting-fits, and all this would
very materially militate against her accepting the
post. The grim Maria Theresa, however, who did
not place much faith in what she heard of the Prin-
cesse, merely remarked that she did not suppose these
' grimaces ' would prevent her in the least from taking
what she wanted, and her own hope was that the
Duchesse de Coss^ would remain at her post as long
as possible in order that Madame de Lamballe might
be disappointed.

It is a little difficult to understand why the Empress
should have been so fiercely set against the Princesse
de Lamballe, but she was, of course, aware how impres-
sionable her daughter was, and it is to be supposed
dreaded the first person, be it man or woman, to whom
Marie Antoinette should give her whole heart, recog-
nising how immense a power that person would wield.
But the young Queen was too lonely at heart to
renounce her friend, and the mere fact of being
unable immediately to honour her as she would wish
made her eager to confer any other possible favour
the Princesse might ask, opportunities for which were
not long lacking.

Early in June, Madame de Lamballe had the great
felicity of welcoming her father, two brothers, and
sister-in-law as guests to her adopted country. They
all travelled ostensibly incognito ; the Prince de Car-
iguan as Marquis de Marene, Prince Victor and his

THE CARIGNANS IN PARIS 71

wife (daughter of the pushing Comtesse de Brionne)
as Comte and Comtesse de Salussole, and Prince
Eugene as Comte de Villefranche. The Princesse de
Lamballe and her dame de compagriie, Madame de
Lascases, drove to meet her relatives on their arrival
in Paris, and, after a most affectionate greeting, the
Prince de Carignan and his youngest son entered
Madame de Lamballe's carriage and drove back with
her to the Hotel de Toulouse, Madame de Lascases
following in another vehicle, and the ' Salussoles ' with
Madame de Brionne. At the Hotel de Toulouse the
Due de Penthi^vre received his visitors with the
greatest honour ; the grand doors were thrown open
for them, and in every question of precedence the pas
was' yielded to them. When they left, the Due him-
self conducted Madame de Salussole to her carriage,
and called upon her next day, as did all the Princes
of the Blood, though not the Princesses, as she had
not yet been presented. When they dined at the
Palais Eoyal, the Due d'Orleans, as was inevitable,
preceded them politely, but the Due de Penthievre
followed. In many ways indeed the etiquette of
these entertainments seems to us to-day to have been
very quaint. When, for instance, the whole Carignan
party supped at the Hotel de Toulouse in the Prin-
cesse de Lamballe's apartments, she sent out the
invitations herself, but M. de Penthievre called upon
the Comtesse de Brionne, Madame de Salussole, and
Mdlle. de Lorraine, and begged for the honour of

72 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

their presence, which was not, of course, refused.
Twenty people sat down to the banquet, not includ-
ing the Ambassadress of Sardinia, who preferred to
remain in the salon during the meal ; while her
husband, the Ambassador, and M. de Marene (the
Prince de Carignan) did not sup either, but took
turns to sit next the Due de Penthievre at the corner
of the table. Nor were the sexes equally divided,
since in one place eight ladies sat together, the
hostess in their midst, and in another three men. It
was a very merry party, however. The Due de
Penthievre had always liked the Carignan family, and
he saw much of them during their visit, and did his
best to make things pleasant for them ; nor was a
welcome lacking them in a still more exalted quarter.
The Queen was only too anxious to please her
friend in honouring her family. It was not possible
to offer them any public reception since they were
ostensibly travelling incognito, but the Princesse was
radiant with pleasure at their presence, and especially
at the company of her youngest and favourite brother,
Eugene. Either at her suggestion, or from the Queen's
kind heart, the project arose to offer Eugene a good
post in the French army, and thus keep brother and
sister more or less together. The King was approached,
and consented at once, delighted to please his wife,
and always liking Madame de Lamballe. It is said
the Comtesse d'Artois also used her influence in
favour of Eugene ; at any rate, the matter was

PRINCE EUGENE AS A FRENCH COLONEL 73

hurried through very quickly, and everything settled

within a week. The young Prince was to be made

colonel of an infantry regiment newly formed for

him, to be called henceforth ' de Savoy-Carignan,'

and he was to receive thirty thousand livres a year.

No ministers were consulted, and they were all furious

at the arrangement. Maria Theresa was extremely

vexed when she heard of it, and lamented loudly that

the Piedmont party was growing far too strong.

Mercy remonstrated with the Queen, who said no

doubt he was right, but she could not always refuse

her personal feelings ; she would, however, be more

cautious in the future. He seems to have imagined

he had convinced her, but, as we all know, one

' Convinced against his will
Is of the same opinion still.'

The Princesse and her family were overjoyed at the
honour done them, and on the strength of it the new
colonel — aged twenty- two — and his relatives were
presented to the King and Queen at Versailles on the
9 th June by the Comte de Viry, Sardinian Ambas-
sador, who was conducted by Le Sieur la Live de la
Briche, the 'introducer of Ambassadors.'

The visit of the Carignans must have closed very
shortly after this, for the court almost immediately
moved to Rheims, where the coronation of Louis xvi.
took place on the 11th June. The Queen was present
at the coronation, but was not herself crowned, and
the name of the Princesse de Lamballe does not

74 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

appear at any of the festivities in connection with
this great occasion. She was probably either still
with her people and sharing their incognito, or, more
likely, with her sister-in-law, who was again in deli-
cate health, at the castle of Anet. This castle,
together with much other valuable property, had
lately come to the Due de Penthievre through the
death of his cousin, the Comte d'Eu ; and here, on the
3rd July, the Duchesse de Chartres' second son, the
Due de Montpensier, was born. The Due de Chartrej
was apprised of the news by a courier, and so soon as
the Duchesse was sufficiently recovered, the sisters-in-
law set out to travel in Holland and other places.
The Prince and Princess of Orange received them with
great distinction ; the Due de Lavanguyon feted them
magnificently ; the Baronne d'Oberkirch speaks of a
supper she gave for them at Vanves, and indeed
everywhere they seem to have met with the greatest
friendliness and honour.

The Princesse de Lamballe was attended on this
journey by the Marquise de Broc, and the Duchesse
de Chartres by the afterwards famous — or infamous —
Madame de Genlis. So far Madame de Chartres had
no reason to suppose Madame de Genlis her enemy,
and treated her as a friend and intimate rather, a
woman whose wide sympathies and intellect had
raised her considerably above the class to which she
was born. Unknown to the Duchesse, however,
Madame de Genlis' relations with the Due de Chartres

MADAME DE GENLIS 75

had long been of anything but an innocent character.
Her aunt, Madame de Montesson, was the morganatic
wife of the old Due d'Orl^ans since his wife's death,
although the court refused to recognise her ; and this
niece had been intimate with Chartres long before his
marriage. Even her unscrupulous nature demurred
at first to accepting a post about the young Duchesse,
but Chartres had wished it, and by this time she had
grown quite accustomed to the situation, and even
derived a certain amount of humour from it. Although
her rdle so far was to be simple and unobtrusive, she
already took quiet note of the characters about her,
insisting maliciously upon their failings rather than
their virtues. Long after, when the days of summing
up arrived, and all who had known the Princesse de
Lamballe testified to her gentleness, her charity, her
kind heart, noble bearing, and sweet face, Madame de
Genlis alone remarked that her hands were large and
hideous (a detail which no contemporary portraits
bear out), and that her constant fainting-fits were the
merest afiectation. The unfortunate Princesse, like
many very sensitive people, was apt to be thrown
into real agitation by certain quite ordinary objects
— the sight of a lobster or a bunch of violets always
affected her thus — and there was one occasion when,
in a picture-gallery in Holland, she fainted quite
away before a very realistic picture of an old fish-
woman with a basket of lobsters on her arm. No
doubt Madame de Genlis was all sympathy and com-

76 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

miseration at the moment, but none the less she noted
the incident down with scornful contempt for later
relation.

Mercy's fears meanwhile were becoming certainties.
Both the Duchesse de Coss4 and Madame de Noailles
had resigned their posts after the coronation at
Eheims, and it was understood that the Princesse de
Lamballe had been privately but positively promised
the post of Superintendent of the Queen's Household.
' The Princesse,' he wrote gloomily to his Empress on
the 17th July, 'is still very young, and it remains to
be seen whether she will keep in her new position that
sweet, sincere, and simple character she has shown so
far.' Three days before this, Marie Antoinette herself
had written to Count Rosenborg that the matter was
indeed settled, though still a secret. ' I shall make
my friend happy,' she cried, ' and this will make me
even happier than herself,' but it was not till the 15th
September that the Empress was oflScially informed
of the appointment. Then her daughter writes, half
apologetically, that ' I hope all that my dear mama
will learn of Madame de Lamballe will convince her
that there is certainly nothing to fear in her connec-
tion with my sisters-in-law. She has always had a
good reputation, and has not at all the Italian char-
acter. Both she and her brother are established here
for life, and I am sure they both feel that France is
now their true country.' The Baron de Breteuil also
endeavoured to reassure the Empress of the innocence

THE PRINCESSE RECEIVES HER BREVET 77

and good heart of the Princesse, but Maria Theresa
was but too sceptical by now of the wisdom of much
that her daughter chose to do, and her fears of the
growing Italian influence in France had received two
strong confirmations this very August. Madame
Clothilde, the King's sister, was married to the Prince
of Piedmont, brother to Mesdames of Provence and
Artois : and the Comtesse d'Artois gave birth to a son,
the little Due d'Angouleme, only member so far of a
second generation in the royal family. Kind though
she was to the baby, Marie Antoinette could not but
be sensible of the blow his appearance gave to her
own childless position, and, indeed, every one about
her felt it equally, except apparently the King. She
endeavoured, however, not to allow herself to be
worried over such subjects, and to find her happiness
in friendship instead.

On the 18th September the Princesse de Lamballe
officially took the oath of service, and received her
brevet of Superintendent, a long and involved docu-
ment made out between the King and ' notre tres chere
et tres aime'e cousine. ' She was overwhelmed with con-
gratulations, amongst which few came more welcome
than those of the loyal people of Brittany, by whom
she was not by any means forgotten since her pleasant
visit amongst them the preceding year. To their
greeting she replied herself : —

'Paris, Oct. 8, 1775.

'I am very sensible, Gentlemen, of the mark of

78 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

attention you have given me on the occasion of my
nomination to the place of Superintendent of the
Queen's Household : I beg you to receive my thanks.
The province of Brittany will do me little justice if
it doubts the sentiments I have for it : I should like
always to be able to give testimony to my feelings of
regard for it. I beg you to believe, Gentlemen, the
sincere esteem in which I hold you.

M. T. L. DE Savoye.'

Although now really Superintendent, the troubles
connected with the nomination were not yet at an
end. It was so long since the post had been held
that nobody knew exactly in what either the duties
or the privileges consisted, and in the long result
they seem to have meant very much what they were
desired to mean at the moment. The title was an
excuse to be constantly about the Queen when both
wished it, but otherwise the Princesse might absent
herself from court for months, and affairs in the
palace ran on much the same. No letters, petitions,
or memoranda were supposed to reach the Queen's
hands but through the Superintendent, who also
gave all orders, was responsible for the management
of every detail in the Household, and, most important
charge of all, had the honour of giving all entertain-
ments in the Queen's name, and of inviting her
chosen guests. This last involved a good deal of
expense, and a handsome allowance was usually

THE PRIVILEGES OF A SUPERINTENDENT 79

made to the Superintendent in order to cover it ; but
the granting of this allowance had in fact been the
chief obstacle to the whole scheme. The finances of
the country were at a very low ebb, and ministers
did not wish to encourage extravagant gaieties at
court. Besides, the Princesse de Lamballe was a
very rich woman, and her father-in-law an exceed-
ingly wealthy man : she would not need so large
a sum as Mdlle. de Clermont had had : let them, it
was suggested, cut down her allowance, and at the
same time qualify the absolute authority that accom-
panied the post. The Abbe de Vermond confiden-
tially proposed a compromise to the Queen : should
he arrange it ? Gladly she gave him permission,
trusting implicitly in his discretion ; but now there
arose a fresh power with which to reckon. Gentle
and simple and tender as the Princesse had hitherto
been, on a matter of privilege she showed herself
adamant. She would have no post shorn of half its
honours, she protested ; the Due de Penthievre
would not permit her to accept it ; rather — and she
spoke with tears — she would resign all her prerogatives
at court, and retire once more into the solitude she
loved at Eambouillet. It was for the Queen to
choose. And the Queen, bewildered, amazed, ex-
cited, and never in the least really understanding
the characters of those about her, clasped the
dear friend in her arms, vowed she should have all
she asked, and implored her never to dream of

80 THE PKINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

leaving her. The next day the King signed an order,
granting the Princesse 50,000 crowns a year for her
expenses.

Needless to say, this transaction provided a great
opportunity for the enemies of the Princesse to
accuse her of greed, meanness, avarice, and every
conceivable vice. Yet it was perfectly natural that
in accepting so important a post, she should presume
the same conditions and particularly the same prestige
would apply to it as before. If she allowed herself
to be foisted off now with inferior rights, her position
at court would never be the same again ; and as to
the state of the country's finances, nobody at court
ever supposed that that could have any effect upon
their pleasures, — it was only the usual croaking to
be expected from ministers. True, the income was
not a necessity to her, but it was a part of the post,
and she would have the post intact or not at all — and
got it. But the little contretemps was remembered
against her ; and when her enemies could find no
other scandal among a notoriously scandalous court
to fix upon her, they fixed that. Mercy, writing a
month later to his Empress, seems to shake his head
as he says : ' The Baron de Breteuil's praises of the
Princesse de Lamballe seem so far well founded, but
this Princesse is too young and at the same time too
new at court for one to give a certain opinion as to the
course she will choose ; while the steps she took when
there was a question of fixing the rights and emolu-

FRICTION WITH THE ABBE DE VERMOND 81

ments of her charge might throw some doubts upon
her intentions.'

Another unfortunate consequence of the friction
at this time was the continued ill-relations between
the Princesse and the Abbe de Vermond. The Abb6
was not liked by any one at court, from the King
downward ; but there Avere from this time forth par-
ticular jealousies between him and Madame de Lam-
balle as to the possession of the Queen's confidence.
The Princesse considered that he had done his best
to destroy her prestige at court, and henceforth her
position as Superintendent gave her many oppor-
tunities of interfering with his plans and influence,
each of which she religiously pursued. But all this
came later, during the winter, and for the few weeks
of that autumn Queen and Princesse lived in the
perfect happiness of friendship together. On the
2nd October they went alone to M. de Penthievre's
country house at Sceaux, and spent a long and
delightful day there; later the whole court adjourned
to Choisy, and the friends passed an ideal month in
the gardens and on the river. Certain odd little in-
cidents of their sojourn there are preserved to us ; as
that walking one day by the river bank they found
a gondola waiting, and expressed their intention of
entering it, on which the boatmen leapt into the
river, splashing and diving to show their joy and
pride ; and the two ladies, thinking them drowned,
both fainted on the spot. Again, at Fontainebleau,

82 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

when in a covered gondola together, a window fell,
bruising the arm of the Princesse, who fainted once
more, alarming the Queen very greatly, but thanks
to having her promptly bled, she quickly recovered.
One is apt to regard these constant fainting-fits as
rather poor-spirited ; but we have to remember that
this was the age of Evelina and Cecilia, not thirty
years since Pamela and Clarissa had shown
young English women, however robust, that the
only proper means for a susceptible female to meet
any kind of shock, was to swoon instantly and with-
out hesitation. The Princesse de Lamballe was any-
thing but robust, and her unconscious fits lasted
often so long that there cannot possibly have been,
as Madame de Genlis chooses to hint, anything
supposititious about them. She was always at her
best, both in health and happiness, in the pleasant
country life she so enjoyed, and the excitement and
turmoil of a court career were never congenial to her.
Nor, upon the whole, did she spend any more time
at court than she could possibly avoid.

SLEIGH PARTIES 83

CHAPTER VIII

1775-6

The court returned to Versailles for the winter,
■which was a particularly severe one this year,
1775-6. The Queen's sleigh parties became more
famous than ever, and she and her chosen friend the
Princesse de Lamballe, looking, Madame Campan
exclaims, like ' spring clothed with ermine,' a ' rose
in snow,' were constantly to be seen skimming about
the country roads, and even sometimes through the
streets of Paris. This was not very wise ; for a hard
winter meant more than pleasant parties to the poor
of the great city ; hunger, cold, loss of work, starva-
tion, death ; and though the Queen, out of the kind-
ness of her heart, sent large sums from her private
purse to relieve their necessities, it was difficult for
them to believe, when they watched her driving
through their midst, gay and laughing, wrapped in
furs and sparkling with jewels, that she really cared in
the least for their despair. For a really intelligent and
quick-witted woman, Marie Antoinette seems from the
beginning to have suffered from an absolutely extra-
ordinary lack of tact ; and this, coupled with her

84 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

mad imprudence and restless craving for excitement,
will in fact sum up the whole list of her failings.
Yet, for a queen, hardly any failings could be worse.
It was about this time that the Princesse de Lam-
balle seems to have been at the very summit of her
favour and happiness, and indications of a decline
were already not wanting. It may, therefore, be
advisable here to give some account of her appear-
ance and character, as gathered from the memoirs
of the period, since contemporary evidence must
carry more weight than any of the portraits and
busts that have been left to us. She was not a tall
woman, it appears, and possessed a particularly small
head and features even for her height. Madame
Le Brun, who painted her, and must, therefore, have
studied her face with some care, says she was not
exactly pretty, but seemed so at a little distance ; had
a dazzlingly fair complexion, elegant figure, and the
most beautiful blonde hair imaginable. This hair, in
fact, was her chief beauty, and one of her attendants
reports that one day, returning from her bath, it fell
from beneath her cap where she had loosely gathered
it, and completely covered her. The Baronne d'Ober-
kirch describes her as 'very pretty, though with
irregular features ; gay and lively ; she has not much
wit, and avoids discussions and disputes ; is incapable
of even thinking harm : the shaft of calumny was
never directed against her. . . . She gives immensely
more than she can afford ... is a model of all the

THE PRINCESSE DESCRIBED 85

virtues.' The Goncourt brothers, in a passage which
must inevitably be read in the original, since the
charm of it escapes translation, have spoken of her
thus : —

' La plus grande beaute de Madame la Prin-
cesse de Lamballe etait la serenite de sa physio-
nomie. L'eclair meme de ses yeux ^tait tranquille.
Malgre les secousses et les fievres d'une maladie ner-
veuse il n'y avait pas un pli, pas un nuage sur son
beau front, battu de ces longs cheveux blonds qui
bouclerent encore autour de la pique de Septembre.
Italienne, Madame avait les graces du Nord, et
elle n'etait jamais plus belle qu'en train eau, sous la
martre et sous I'hermine, le teint fouett^ par un vent
de neige, ou bien encore lorsque dans I'ombre d'un
grand chapeau de paille dans un nuage de linon, elle
passait comme un de ces reves dont le peintre anglais
Lawrence promene la robe blanche sur les verdures
mouillees.'

The Prince de Ligne, who seldom had a fair word
for anybody, said of Madame de Lamballe only that
' she was as good as she was pretty ' ; and even her
enemy Madame de Genlis qualifies her dislike in
describing her as ' of a fragile appearance, delicately
pretty, with irregular features, and large and ugly
hands.' She adds that in disposition she was gay,
obliging, good - natured, and that rarity, a Pied-
montese without intrigue ; but this was natural,
since she had not the wit for it, and would hide

86 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

her absolute foolisliness under a childish air, gazing
aimlessly out of the window while a new subject
was under discussion until some witty decision was
arrived at, when she would suddenly turn round and
claim that as her own. Madame de Genlis goes on
to say that she did this so cleverly that it was long
before she herself could detect her in the trick ; yet
surely, even if the story were true, a person who
could so promptly decide upon an argument and
reason at an instant's notice in its favour so ably as
for some time to deceive the shrewd Genlis herself,
cannot have been absolutely destitute of all sense.

This lady also describes the Princesse's fainting-
fits as fictional, and assumed for effect, saying that
nobody believed in them, and that for a whole year
she made a point of fainting twice a week at fixed
hours, when her doctor was ready in waiting to
attend upon her. One day, after supper, during a
visit to Cr^cy, she says, M. de Penthievre had retired
early to bed, but the rest of the company sat on in
the salon while Mdlle. Bagarotti, an admirable racon-
teuse, related ghost stories. Suddenly, at a thrilling
moment, one of the servants in waiting yawned
loudly, and Madame de Lamballe immediately fainted.
She remained unconscious so long that Madame de
Genlis, impatient at the fuss made about her, in-
sisted on sending for the Due's surgeon, M. Guenalt.
He was in bed, but was quickly roused, and ran
down in his dressing-gown, much excited at the

THE RESULT OF A GHOST STORY 87

honour of attending tlie Princesse. Madame de
Genlis told him brusquely to bleed her in the foot,
to which he objected that it was too soon after svipper,
but the Governess declared that she had noticed the
Princesse ate nothing ; so Guenalt sent for hot water
and bowls, insisted that the Due should be waked,
and was just about to commence proceedings when the
Princesse quietly recovered consciousness. Madame
de Genlis never tired of telling this story as a proof
that the unfortunate lady had been shamming the
whole time; but it does not in fact seem to prove
anything except the dilatoriness of the means pro-
vided for her relief. Lauzun also repeats the tale, and
adds that she fainted at the sight of shrimps, a fable
into which the story of the lobster picture in Holland
had evidently grown.

Deducting the bitterness of malice from these last
reports, it is plain from other sources that the
Princesse was not a clever woman. She possessed,
too, the defects of her qualities. Straightforward,
high-principled, and very religious, she looked a little
narrow-mindedly upon others whose temptations had
never touched her. Kind, generous, and very charit-
able, she certainly grasped at all the wealthy posts
that came her way, but only that she might have
the more to give. We are also told that she kept
accounts very badly — a feminine failing which may
easily be forgiven her. ' How happy are the needy
who come to you ! ' the Queen wrote to her. ' It is

88 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

impossible for me to refuse anything you ask, dear
friend. But do you only stay with me for the sake
of your poor ? ' Lastly, and it was the rock on
which the friendship nearly broke, she laid great
stress upon the proper use of forms and ceremonies.
Marie Antoinette hated etiquette in all its forms, and
could not understand her friend's insistence that all
court privileges should be seriously accepted, and
everything done in proper order. The Princesse
preferred a country life, but if she was to have a post
at court, she would see that no established conven-
tion should be disregarded. To a certain extent she
was right, for etiquette, though the weariness of
royalty, is at the same time its safeguard, and it
would be difficult to say how largely, by disregarding
custom and loosening ceremony, Marie Antoinette
ultimately contributed to her own downfall. Even
the smallest matters had their influence. For in-
stance, while the old King lived, the Dauphin and
his brothers and their wives made a pleasant little
informal society together ; but when the Dauphin
became King, the brothers became his subjects, and
should have been on quite a different footing ; but
Marie Antoinette would not allow this. She said it
was absurd to be treated with ceremony by the
sisters- and brothers-in-law with whom she had been
on terms of such intimacy ; for them to stand in her
presence, and address her by her titles ; and she
insisted that things were to remain just as they had

PETIT TRIANON 89

been before. Yet their interests were necessarily
different, and in a few years' time she was sorry
indeed to have done this ; but it was too late then to
withdraw permission, and Monsieur and Madame
and the Comte and Comtesse d'Artois treated her
with scant respect all her life in consequence.

There were, of course, plenty of people to encourage
the Queen in her unconventionality and disregard
of custom : the Abb^ de Vermond had from the first
sneered at the paraphernalia of changing guards
about the palace, and the hundred and one details
of court life constantly demanding attention — it was
another subject on which he and the Princesse de
Lamballe clashed. Very early in his reign Louis xvi.
made his wife a present of the delightful house and
gardens of Petit Trianon, where she could be as
rural as she chose, ask her own friends, wear simple
muslin frocks, and play at being nobody in particular.
Yet here also she overdid the charms of insignificance,
not allowing her friends to rise when she entered a
room, or pay her any ordinary attentions, much less
those due to the Queen of France. She devised
fancy dress balls, disguises in which she thought
herself unrecognised, but in which every one knew
her ; incognito jaunts to Paris, absurd games in which
for a moment she could lay aside her rank ; and the
meaning of it all was that the little Aiistrian princess
was growing fast, developing from the child she had
been, easily satisfied with a pretty and charming

90 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

companion of her own sex, to a woman with capa-
cities for real passion ; dissatisfied, restless, impulsive,
hungry for she knew not what, aware of enemies
about her, yet casting prudence to the winds in her
wild craving for excitement. Had she been happy in
her family life, all might have been different; but
although rapidly overcoming his shyness, Louis was
still no real husband to her. She grew quickly
bored with her surroundings, flitted from friend to
friend, set fiercely on the whim of the moment and
equally indifferent to it a week later. The men of
the court tried to make love to her, and her name
was unpleasantly coupled with many of them from
time to time : Lauzun, Bezenval, Esterhazy, Chartres,
even her young brother-in-law the Comte d'Artois ;
but though she was madly foolish in the latitude she
allowed them, there never seems to have been the
least real foundation for these tales. For more than
a hundred years, every day of Marie Antoinette's life
has been searched into and written about, and no
serious charge has ever been proved against her.
Perhaps the truest adorer she ever had was the young
Swedish Count Fersen, who loved her from the first
moment he saw her as Dauphiness, left the court and
spent years in America lest his devotion might be
recognised to her detriment, and returned to risk his
life devising reckless plans for her escape when all
the butterfly courtiers of gayer days had fled. But one
hears little of Fersen till the skies grew dark.

ARRIVAL OF THE POLIGNACS 91

A new and very important factor, however, was at
this time just entering into the Queen's life. At one
of the winter receptions she perceived a young lady
whom she had not noticed at court before, very
youthful, very pretty, apparently very retiring, wear-
ing a simple white frock, in great contrast to the
magnificent costumes of the other ladies present ;
and on inquiring her name she was told it was the
Comtesse Jules de Polignac. Feeling an unaccount-
able interest in the new comer, she sent for her and
asked why she had never appeared at court before, to
which the young Comtesse frankly replied that her
husband was too poor to afford it. Marie Antoinette
seems to have been strangely moved by the inter-
view, and declared afterwards that the Comtesse was
' an angel,' and her poverty at least should be re-
medied at once, in which she was as good as her
word. In a very short time all the Comte's debts
were paid — a matter of some 400,000 francs, the
Comtesse was given apartments at Versailles, and
Marie Antoinette congratulated herself on having
again found a kindred soul.

The Queen made and unmade so many friends that
no one paid particular attention at first to Madame
de Polisfnac, nor dreamed that her influence could
ever supersede that of the Princesse de Lamballe ;
but she had powerful friends at her back, and perhaps
the most powerful of all was her own indiff'erence.
She never had the least personal feeling for the Queen,

92 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

and scarcely pretended it, but there seems no doubt
that Marie Antoinette was more and longer infatuated
with her than with any one else in the whole course
of her life. For fourteen years the influence of the
Polignacs was paramount and disastrous in the
French court. This influence was chiefly wielded
by the Comtesse Diane, sister-in-law of the Queen's
favourite, a lady who had been much at the court
of Louis XV., and since his death had been appointed
court reader, lady to the Comtesse d'Artois, and
afterwards to the little Princesse Elizabeth, a charge
she systematically neglected ; till one day Elizabeth,
a lean, brown, silent, enigmatic little thing, who at
eleven had cried herself sick at her sister's wedding,
ran away to a convent near by, whence her brother
the King fetched her home himself. The Queen had
hitherto disliked Comtesse Diane, who, though shy,
was too clever and sarcastic to be a comfortable com-
panion for poor Marie Antoinette, always sensible of
the deficiencies of her own education ; but any relative
of the new favourite must receive reflected honour,
and through her sister-in-law Diane worked more
havoc in France than any one realised. The Comtesse
Jules herself, Gabrielle Yolande, nee Polastron, had
been an orphan from birth, and was married to the
Comte at seventeen ; she was now about twenty-five,
but looked less. Diane describes her as ' very pretty,
with blue eyes, a tip-tilted nose, and pretty teeth.'
The Baronne d'Oberkirch, less interested perhaps,

■_A^^l-a^ ^^€^92^^/

/7.94.

COMTESSE JULES DE POLIGNAC 93

says she was small and ill-made, with a bad and
ungraceful walk, a beautiful face except for the fore-
head, which was brown and of a disagreeable shape,
an enchanting smile, simple manners, and she was
never dull. Here, no doubt, lay her charm for Marie
Antoinette, who, after a very short intimacy, simply
would not let her go. The Comtesse was frankly
bored with court life, and would not have stayed a
month but for the Queen's importunities and the
handsome emoluments she obtained for her family
and friends. She, too, was set against formality,
some reason for which might lie in the fact that her
own rank was not high, and she took no particula
place among the court ladies ; but her hatred of
ceremony fell in too appositely with the Queen's own
feelings ; and Paris was soon scandalised with the ac-
counts of the childish romps and wild games for which
the stately salons of Versailles soon became famous.

Marie Antoinette's first impulse on securing this
new friend was that she should be a friend to the
Princesse de Lamballe too. To her surprise, neither
lady seemed particularly drawn towards the other :
they had not, in fact, a single thought in common.
Madame de Lamballe really loved the Queen, and
foresaw with sorrow not only the decrease of her own
inlluenee, but the disastrous foolishness of much into
which Marie Antoinette was being led by her new
friend. Realising, however, the hopelessness of re-
monstrance at the moment, she set her lips and

94 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

awaited in silence all that the Queen might choose to
do. She had looked in the face of trouble, and she
sprang from an ancient race, therefore from her
came no complaint ; but the Comtesse de Polignac,
realising the situation shrewdly enough, meant to let
no advantage slip. In words and looks and dropped
sentences, ridicule and contempt were insinuated
against the Princesse. Marie Antoinette, always at
the mercy of her chief friend's opinion, half began to
believe there might be truth in the tales : she was
bored, too, by the constant atmoriphere of friction ;
realised that it might not be easy to keep both her
friends on equal terms, and for the moment, from
sheer novelty, the Comtesse excited and interested
her the most. Thus she had scarcely won the long
struggle for her Superintendent of the Household
before she began to wish it undone, and certain
incidents helped to fan the flame of her annoyance.
A chief part of the Superintendent's duties was, as
has been pointed out, to give the Queen's balls and
invite her guests ; but a Princess of the Blood never
issued invitations, she merely announced that she
would receive on a certain evening, and all those
of the court who wished could wait upon her.
Standing upon her privilege of rank, this was the
course the Princesse adopted, and it offended many
who expected explicit invitations, so that very few
people attended her balls, and the Queen was vexed,
while the Polignacs whispered that the Princesse had

SOME CURIOUS HEADDRESSES 95

blundered, and lacked in respect and the proper per-
formance of her duties.

The action was foolish, no doubt, for Marie Antoin-
ette loved dancing, and to please her at this time
several outsiders of the court gave balls in her honour,
to which she came early and stayed late. The Due
de Chartres gave one in February 1776, of which we
hear especially, because the headdress the Queen
wore at it was so high that an etage of the staircase
had to be taken down before she could enter the ball-
room. These huge headdresses were the very ugly
fashion of the time, and Marie Antoinette was passing
through a phase when it was absolutely necessary for
her to lead the dernier cri of fashion. Some designs
for them have come down to us, and read very
strangely. One lady appeared with the four quarters
of the globe, sun, moon, and stars represented on her
head ; another with a meadow watered by a brook, a
windmill, shepherd and a flock of lambs ; yet another
with a parasol that would open and shut. The Queen
had her picture painted with some such extravagant
headdress, and sent it to the Empress Maria Theresa,
who returned it with the caustic remark that this
must be the portrait of an actress, and not her
daughter. The Duchesse de Chartres excelled in
devising weird ornaments for herself, and appeared
one day with her hair dressed to represent her son,
the Due de Valois, of whom she was very proud,
asleep in his nurse's arms ; and on another occasion

96 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

with a man-of-war in full sail, in allusion to her
husband's ambition to become Admiral of the French
Fleet. Madame de Chartres also introduced her own
dressmaker, Mdlle. Bertin, to the Queen ; and this
woman encouraged her Majesty in many extravagant
and fantastic notions of dress.

The Due de Chartres was rather in favour with
Marie Antoinette at this time, though he afterwards
fell wofuUy from that position ; he was also very
friendly with the young Comte d'Artois, with whom
he had many tastes in common. Again, he was very
desirous to rise to high rank in the French navy, and
especially to become Chief Admiral of France after
his father-in-law, the Due de Penthievre ; and it is
possible that if he had been allowed to assume this
post he might have been kept faithful, but the King
always disliked and distrusted him, and the court
party managed to quash his ambitions and sour his
views of life. His moral character was, of course,
never good, but his wife's fondness for him had not
yet declined, though she already found she had a
good deal to put up with : and the Princesse de Lam-
balle was always strangely lenient to his erratic
proceedings. She and her sister-in-law were one
day staying with the Duchesse de Bourbon, sister to
the Due de Chartres, at her castle at Vanves ; and
Chartres was informed that it was to be a female
party, and his company was not required. This put
him on his mettle, and he and his inseparable friend.

HORSE-PLAY AT COURT 97

the Comte de Fitz-James, together with M. de Thiers,
determined to obtain admission. The two first dis-
guised themselves respectively as a bear and a tiger,
and M. de Thiers, as their keeper, arrived at Vanves,
and demanded to be allowed to show his beasts and
their tricks to the ladies, permission for which was
graciously accorded. The three princesses came out
on the steps and were much amused at the gambols
of the animals, who, however, suddenly affected to
break their chains and scamper upstairs after them,
rushing into all the rooms, destroying the dinner,
ready laid, and playing many monkey-tricks —
singeries — on the shrieking fair ones.

All seems to have been very readily forgiven, and
indeed this is not the only indication of the rather
rowdy kind of merriment which seems to have been
fashionable at the court of Marie Antoinette.
Madame de Lamballe regretting one day that she
had not been able to be present at a party the Queen
had given the night before at Trianon to her in-
timates, Marie Antoinette replied carelessly, ' Oh
well, you really missed very little, for not a thing
was broken.'

The Superintendent of the Household naturally had
a handsome suite of rooms allotted to her at Versailles,
situated at the corner of the Aile de Midi; but
desiring also to have a house of her own in Paris,
where she could have an English garden, she bought
from her father-in-law the Hotel de Maine, formerly

98 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

the Hotel d'Eu, next to his own house, for which
she paid the sum of 70,000 livres. This was in
November 1775, but she seems really to have used
the mansion very little, for when in Paris she nearly
always stayed with the Due de Penthievre at the
Hotel de Toulouse. With all her faults, the Princesse
de Lamballe was a very loyal friend and never forgot
a service ; and when the Comtesse de la Marche
resigned her post in December of this year, although
acutely sensible of her own loss of favour with the
Queen, she yet imperilled her position in courageously
demanding for the Comtesse what was in fact her
due, the pension of a Princess of the Blood. Mercy
was very angry at this, regarding it as a fresh pre-
sumption on the Superintendent's part, and he declared
to the Empress that what with her brother and her
friends, she already cost the nation more than one
hundred thousand crowns a year, and was still not
satisfied. Nevertheless, Madame de la Marche got
her pension.

OTHER FRIENDS OF THE QUEEN 99

CHAPTER IX

1776-8

Marie Antoinette did not, even at this time, con-
fine her intimacy wholly to the Princesse de Lamballe
and the Comtesse de Polignac. She was also very
friendly with the Comtesse de Dillon, a niece of the
Archbishop Narbonne ; and this Madame de Dillon
had an open liaison with the Prince de Gu^mene,
whose wife perfectly acquiesced in the position, had
her own lover, the Due de Coigny, and was constantly
to be found in the salon of her husband's mistress.
Such a state of things was so usual that the Queen
never dreamed of disapproval ; Madame de Polignac
herself had an acknowledged lover, the Comte de
Vaudreuil, for whom Marie Antoinette even exerted
herself to find a good post, which brought him in
30,000 francs (£1200) a year. To the honour of the
Abb^ de Vermond, it must be pointed out that he
alone took occasion to upbraid the Queen for her
choice of associates, declaring that she had not even
the common prudence to keep with women of good
reputation. To this she asked with spirit what
charge he had to make against the character of the

100 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

Princesse de Lamballe, and, little thougli lie liked the
Princesse, lie could make none. But it was certainly
unfortunate that the Queen should encourage such
women about her, and very shortly Madame de
Gu^m^ne rose even higher in her favour than Madame
de Dillon, so high that for some while she was
reckoned the Queen's third favourite, and had quite
an accredited party at court.

It is not difficult to see where the attraction lay
for Marie Antoinette, always eager for something
new. Victoire Armande de Rohan Soubise, Princesse
de Gu^m^n4 was a curious woman, believed in
spiritualism, fell suddenly into trances, kept a whole
horde of dogs always about her, declaring that
through them she held communion with the spirits
of her dead friends, and treated the Queen quite as
an equal. She took very little interest in politics,
but was niece to Madame de Marsan, who had been
Governess to the royal princesses till this year, 1776,
when, Princesse Clothilde being married and Princesse
Elizabeth alone left, she wished to resign her post,
but only in favour of her niece the Princesse de
Gu^m4n6. The Queen was quite pleased to appoint
this Princesse to the post, and the rooms she now
had in Versailles threw them very much together.
Madame de Guem^ne was also very friendly with
Madame de Polignac, who, having so far no official
post at court, had only a little set of rooms near the
Queen, and was therefore very glad to entertain her

THE RIVAL SALONS 101

friends in the salon of the Governess. The Polignac
party was growing very strong at court ; the Due de
Choiseul (who had been recalled at the time of the
coronation), the Due de Coigny, the Due de Guines,
the Baron de Bezenval, and many others, being strong
partisans of the Comtesses Diane and Jules ; and the
Queen was so constantly in the rooms of Madame de
Gu^m^ne that Mercy grew seriously uneasy as to the
influences that might be brought to bear upon her
there. ' It is the most vexatious habit,' he writes,
' that the Queen has yet contracted, both on account
of the kind of people that frequent the salon of the
Governess, and because of their trick of entangling
the Queen in snares which she does not see.' On
the other hand, the Princesse de Lamballe had
all the Palais Royal clique at her rooms, and the
worried Mercy distrusted these equally. ' The Due
de Chartres and those who hold by him and his
friends,' he says, ' find a rendez-vous in the salon
of the Princesse de Lamballe, and I am profoundly
suspicious of their doings and intrigues.'

The Queen's love had not entirely left the friend of
whom she had once declared that she was the charm
of her life ; often, when tired and bored with noisy
games, she would come to the rooms of this Princesse,
whose sweetness and serenity never left her ; and was
indeed once heard to say, ' She is the only woman I
know M'ho never bears a grudge ; neither hatred nor
jealousy is to be found in her.' But a restless fit

102 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

would seize the Queen again, and she would hurry-
away to some mad dance or foolish merriment. Un-
fortunately all this gaiety was doing her a great deal
of harm ; and not only in the palace, but among the
people, the Queen began rapidly to be looked upon
with contempt and disfavour. Tales of what happened
at Versailles, foolish enough to start with, were
grossly exaggerated before they reached the populace,
and a strong undercurrent of dislike and disapproval
set in against Marie Antoinette and her favourites.
The blame as usual was set at the wrong door, but
the Princesse de Lamballe, after much personal
hesitation, conceived it her duty to warn the Queen
of much that was said, and to implore her to use and
act more upon her own judgment in future, and less
on that of unscrupulous advisers about her. The
remonstrance met with such a result as might have
been expected. Marie Antoinette was annoyed at
being ' scolded,' answered shortly, turned away, and
told the whole story to the Polignacs, who laughed
heartily at the strait-laced Princesse, and voted her
a bore, deadliest of names. ' The Princesse de Lam-
balle loses much in favour,' wrote Mercy in April
1776. 'I believe she will always be well treated by
the Queen, but she no longer possesses her entire
confidence.' And again, a month later, he speaks of
' constant quarrels, in which the Princesse seemed
always to be in the wrong.'

Early in June Madame de Lamballe went to Plom-

THE PRINCESSE HAS MEASLES 103

biferes, where she always spent some six or eight
weeks every year to drink the waters; and very
shortly after she was taken seriously ill with measles.
The news, it appears, took some time to reach the
court, for not till the 16 th July does Mercy write
that he had found the Queen very much upset and
alarmed at her favourite's illness, of which she had
only just heard. 'All her affection seems roused
again, and it is more marked than I should have
imagined. I still think, however, the credit of the
Princesse declines, and in spite of her drawbacks I
could almost wish her in favour again at the expense
of Madame de Polignac, who is far more dangerous
in views and intentions.' Mercy was himself in the
midst of a liaison with a pretty Opera singer just now,
and does not seem to have been much comfort to the
Queen ; but the Due de Lauzun was just about to
start for Plombi^res, so she sent for him, and gave
him a great bundle of letters to deliver, with strict
injunctions to send her immediate news of the dear
invalid's progress. By the time Lauzun reached
Plombieres, however, the Princesse was already much
better, and overjoyed to hear the kind messages and
read the letters, to all of which she was able to reply
herself. She also asked that the governorship of
Poitou, vacant by the death of the Prince de Bourbon-
Conti, might be bestowed upon her brother-in-law the
Due de Chartres, and the Queen, in a glow of reviving
friendship, obtained the post for her.

104 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

The Princesse did not leave Plombieres till the end
of August, and then travelled to Versailles through
Nancy, where she was received on the way with
semi-royal honours. A detachment of the La Eoche-
foucauld Dragoons and another of the Regiment du
Eoi met her and formed a double line to Government
House, where she alighted, and received the compli-
ments of the Chamber, the University, and the various
public bodies of the town. After dining, she walked
on foot down the streets to her carriage, amidst
vociferous and hearty cheerings, and finally left at
about six o'clock. It was three months since she
had left Versailles, and she found affairs in very much
the same state as before. The Polignacs were still
in high favour, and Mercy in a worried state, declar-
ing them to be even more expensive to the nation
than herself. They had lately obtained control of a
royal estate bringing in 100,000 francs income, and
not content with that, demanded the very lucrative
supervision of the whole postal system as well. The
Queen, charmed to see her first friend once more,
made a real endeavour to divide her friendship im-
partially between her and the Comtesse, and spent
alternate evenings in the apartments of the Superin-
tendent and the Governess (' equally dangerous,' says
Mercy) ; but the Polignacs, whose stronghold was with
Madame de Guemene, were a clever and a powerful
party, and did not intend to let any advantage slip
from their grasp.

THE QUEEN'S LOVE OF PLAY 105

Marie Antoinette had never cared much for the
stiff card - parties which were a necessary feature
of court etiquette, but lately she had developed
a great taste for high play, and expected her
favourites to arrange gambling games for her amuse-
ment in their rooms. Madame de Gu^m^n^ was
nothing loth, and even Madame de Lamballe, in spite
of her personal disapproval, was obliged to permit
the same in her salon, since she would otherwise
hardly ever have so much as seen the Queen. It was
a most unfortunate taste of Marie Antoinette's, for
many of the courtiers were not able to afford the
high stakes she expected, and which alone seemed to
satisfy her wild craving for excitement, while very
soon she herself fell heavily into debt. The tone of
the court was lowered also, for any one with sufficient
money to take part in the game, whether presented
at court or not, was welcome to appear ; and as a
matter of fact the Queen of France passed most of
her evenings in what was practically an open gaming-
room ; nor was she always free from unpleasant
charges of swindling and foul play in her presence.
A new and very fashionable game named Pharaon
had lately been introduced into France, but conduced
to such ruinously high play that the King took the
severe step of forbidding it by law. This made
the Queen wild to try it, and she implored her
husband so earnestly that at last he granted her
permission to play, but for one night only. She

106 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

interpreted this to mean one sitting, and having
sent for ' bankers ' from Paris to instruct them in
the rules of the game, she and her friends sat down
to it in Madame de Lamballe's rooms for thirty-six
consecutive hours. Relays of players succeeded one
another, and from the evening of the 30th October till
the morning of November 1st, two whole nights and
a day, the table was constantly crowded. The
Princesse de Lamballe had always disliked gambling,
and one realises that this occasion must have been
a great trial to her ; but it was better that the
Queen should find her amusement in her Superin-
tendent's rooms than among more questionable
society. Subsequently, however, she became still
more disinclined to entertain, until the Queen grew
quite angry, declaring it at least her duty to give
suppers before the private balls, which she therefore
did, but invited only women guests. Early in
February 1777 M. de Chartres gave another ball in
the Queen's honour, to which she went dressed en
sultane, supping first with Madame de Lamballe and
twelve other ladies ; but the lack of male society was
beginning to bore her, and she hurried on early to
enjoy herself at the Palais Royal. In March Mercy
reports that the Superintendent seems really to be
growing resigned to sharing her influence with the
Polignacs.

In all accounts of the gaieties of court life at this
time one name is conspicuous by its absence — the

VISIT OF THE EMPEROR JOSEPH 107

King's. Louis had nothing in common with the
society his wife loved, and did not even seem to
realise that he owed her anything more than to pay
the debts she incurred, — which he most generously
did ; and she promptly lost the money again, if not
at cards, in bets on horse-races, a form of amusement
the Comte d'Artois had lately introduced from
England. In the spring of 1777, however, a change
came over all this. The Emperor Joseph, eldest
brother of Marie Antoinette, proposed to pay his
long-promised visit to France, and the Queen, who
had not seen him since her child-marriage, and who held
him in some awe, was all a-flutter that he should
approve of her appearance, her position, and her friends.
Joseph was a strong man, something in the style
of Peter the Great of Eussia, and there seems little
doubt he came to France in consequence of the
unsatisfactory tales he had heard concerning his
sister. He hugged his mother's prejudices, it is
true ; but a good deal needed putting to rights at
Versailles, and on the whole he did it very completely.
After various postponements, he arrived on the 18th
April, travelling incognito as the Comte de Falken-
stein, and refusing to accept the rooms his sister had
prepared for him in the palace, saying he preferred
to be independent, and lodge by himself in the
town. He was immensely struck with Marie Antoi-
nette's good looks, had no idea she was so pretty,
and was equally charmed with her manners. He

108 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

strongly disapproved of her sisters-in-law and all her
friends, and told her so ; to which she, anxious to
please him, replied a little weakly that she knew her
affection had often deceived her, and that she already
heartily repented having given so important a posi-
tion to Madame de Lamballe. This was but three
days after his arrival, and it is possible he thought
better of the Princesse before his departure, which
did not take place till the end of May. A week
before, he visited the Due de Penthievre at Sceaux,
but gave some disappointment by refusing to accept
a meal there, arriving very late, and just hurrying
round the gardens in the course of the afternoon.
The Duchesse de Chartres, the Princesse de Lamballe,
and the Princesse de Conti assisted the Due de
Penthievre to receive him. In spite of his rough
and boorish manners, the Emperor was very generally
liked at court, though a good many long faces were
pulled after his departure, when it was discovered
that he had left no tips whatever behind him.
Madame Adelaide threw her arms round his neck
and embraced him when he went ; but he himself
was said, next to his sister, to take the chief interest
in little Princesse Elizabeth. One really important
matter he set right, however. He spoke seriously to
the King concerning his extraordinary neglect of his
wife, finally broke the ice between them, and after
his departure the couple lived happily together in a
really natural way.

A PROMISE KEPT 109

Marie Antoinette seems to have been much in-
fluenced by her brother's advice and reprimands, and
resolved in future to live more quietly and circum-
spectly. The day he left she spent alone in her
rooms with Madame de Lamballe, Madame de
Polignac, and one other lady. During the summer
Madame de Lamballe again passed some weeks at
Plombieres, and on her return at the end of August
was received very warmly by the Queen. Mercy,
however, remained sceptical as to her Majesty's
real feelings for the Superintendent, and says this
seeming kindness was merely a manner, and that
really the Queen found her earliest friend very tire-
some. Shortly before, the Duchesse de Chartres had
given birth to twin daughters, to the elder of whom
the King and Madame Adelaide offered to become
godparents, and the christening took place at court.
At the last moment the Duchesse turned quickly to
the King and begged him to name her daughter
Eugenie in addition to Adelaide, as already settled.
' Why ? ' he asked. ' I will explain to your Majesty
later,' she said in great agitation, and he good-
naturedly acceded to her request. Afterwards she
told him of the mutual vow she had made with her
schoolfellow the day she left the Convent of Mont-
martre, and explained that as this was her first
daughter, it was imperatively necessary she should
be named Eugenie. The King knew the Baronne de
Talleyrand, and next time he saw her, remarked.

no THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

' Little Baronne ! I am sorry to see you do not keep
your word,' adding, as lie saw her mystification,
' Madame la Duchesse de Chartres has a daughter
whom she has named Eugenie.' ' Alas, sire ! ' ex-
claimed the young Baronne, ' God has not permitted
me to keep my word to the being I love best on earth.
I have no daughter.'

The Princesse de Lamballe accompanied the Queen
often to the play during the following winter ; and
times were becoming more frequent when even the
constant naive impertinences and sarcasms of Madame
de Polignac failed to amuse her Majesty ; yet still
the old complaints dragged on that the Princesse did
not entertain sufficiently to please her. In spite of
her promises to her brother, the Queen pined again
for excitement, and found it in the somewhat
dangerous amusement of going disguised with a
party of ladies to the masked balls at the Opera.
She fancied herself unknown, but every one she met
was very well aware who she was. On the 2nd
January 1778 she went dressed as an Amazon, with
the Comtesse de Provence, the Princesse de Lam-
balle, and eight other ladies in dominoes, to one of
these balls ; and seeing a very gay reveller, tapped
him on the arm, and asked laughing, ' Who art
thou, heau masque V 'Thy subject, fair Amazon,'
came the prompt reply, and removing his mask the
Queen saw the face of her young brother-in-law, the
Comte d'Artois. No other man would have dared

THE COMTE D'ARTOIS 111

to know her, but she would have been equally
recognisable all the same. This Comte d'Artois
prided himself upon being the greatest dandy in
France ; and it is said that he engaged four of the
tallest lackeys he could find, to lift him up every
morning and drop him gently into his trousers, that
he might wear them without a wrinkle ; while at
night they must, with a little more difficulty, perform
the similar ofiice of lifting him out again. His charm,
his brilliance, and his talents seem unfortunately to
have been all expended upon fooleries like these, or
upon gambling, betting, horse-racing, and even still
more harmful tastes.

Friction arose again in the summer of 1778 be-
tween the Princesse de Lamballe and the Abbe de
Vermond. The Abb^ had delivered a memorial to
the Queen without informing the Superintendent of
it, and all such matters should, strictly speaking,
pass through her hands alone. During the constant
months when she was absent from court, the rule
must of course have been frequently relaxed ; but the
Abbe was an enemy, and should not be allowed to
take advantage of any such leniency. She informed
the Queen that if he remained about her she herself
must resign her post. The matter was finally ad-
justed, but the Queen continued much annoyed at
the quarrel, and Mercy sagely remarks that the
Princesse has 'lost more and more in the Queen's
affection, and happily her Majesty's eyes are opened

112 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

at last to the Superintendent, who joins very little
wit to many essential faults, of which she was scarcely
sensible till now.'

But however much her favour might have declined
at court, the Princesse was still a great favourite in
France. Poets and writers dedicated books to her ;
she was received with almost royal honours wherever
she went ; love and admiration seemed to encompass
her on every side. She felt deeply, however, the
Queen's coldness, and this summer travelled again for
some months in Holland with her sister-in-law, the
Duchesse de Chartres, in order to distract her mind
from it. Mercy is pleased to term this an abandon-
ment of her post, but it is very certain she would not
have gone had she received any encouragement to
remain. There was, however, good reason why all
the Queen's friends should rally close about her just
now, for, to the great joy of the kingdom, the birth
of an heir was expected in the following winter. The
summer was particularly warm, and in all innocence
of heart the Queen walked often for her health's sake
with some of her ladies upon the terrace at Versailles
after dark, a distant band playing among the trees.
This very simple recreation was afterwards made the
basis of scandalous accusations against her, and she
was held to have instituted it for the purpose of
facilitating secret assignations. When this was dis-
covered the concerts were of course at once stopped,
but by that time the mischief had been done. In

DEATH OF THE PRINCESSE'S MOTHER 113

the end of August Madame de Polignac fell ill and
went home for a time, and the Princesse de Lamballe
immediately hurried to be with the Queen, who for
once appeared really pleased to see her. Some re-
awakening of their early friendship came to them,
and Mercy has a story that, through sheer stupidity,
the Princesse made use of it to ask for the gift of
a great part of Lorraine, with an annual income of
600,000 livres, which the Queen refused. There seems
little confirmation for this fable, and the Queen's affec-
tion remained for the time far tenderer towards her
friend than it had been for many years.

Early in September the Princesse received news of
the death of her mother at Turin. The Princesse de
Savoy-Carignan, whom her daughter had never seen
since her wedding-day eleven years before, was sixty-
one when she died, and had been ill for a very long
time. Nevertheless, the news came as a great shock
to Madame de Lamballe, and she was made even
more anxious by hearing that her father also suffered
from very poor health. Her first impulse was to
hurry to his side at once, but she resolved to wait till
the Queen's child was born, after which she could
remain a longer time at Turin. Marie Antoinette

O

wrote most affectionately to her friend on this
occasion : —

' I have heard with very deep sorrow, my dear
Lamballe, of the death of your good Mother, for

114 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

whom you have so much tenderness and respect. I

wept over your letter. I knew all the virtues of the

Princesse de Carignan. My sorrow grows for you:

this seems too heavy a weight for you and those you

love to support. My friend, I long to see you and

mingle my tears with yours, for there is no other

consolation for such a grief, and I can only weep and

pray to God with you. The King and I have been

talking of you, and deploring the sad destiny that

pursues an angel like yourself, so suited to have all

happiness about her and so worthy to enjoy it. But

your touching resignation supports your sorrows, and

the friendship of good M. de Penthievre and ourselves

remains with you, if only that could a little soften

the bitterness of your sorrow. Adieu, my dear Lam-

balle, I embrace you again with my whole heart, as I

shall love you all my life.

Marie Antoinette.

' The King enters and wishes to add some words.'
Then, in the King's hand, follows : —

' One word, only one, Madame and dear cousin, but
a word from the bottom of my heart. You know how
much we both love you. May God be with you.'

BIRTH OF MADAME ROYALE 115

CHAPTER X

1778-80

The French court went into eleven days' mourning
for the Princesse de Carignan, but Madame de Lam-
balle never saw her father again. After his wife's
death he grew rapidly worse, and himself expired on
the 6th December.

The Queen's confinement was now so imminent that
all official visits of condolence to the Princesse on her
father's death were put off till this great event should
be over ; she, as Superintendent of the Household,
needing to play an important part in the ceremonies
of the occasion. Her afiection for her friend also
kept her closely in attendance, and for nine days
before the accouchemeyit she slept in the Queen's
bathroom, in order to be close at hand if required.
The story of the birth of Madame Royale, which took
place at midday on the 20th December, has been often
told ; how extraordinary was the excitement that
prevailed, how the Prince de Lambesc's horse stood
ready saddled in the courtyard that he might mount
and gallop to Vienna with the news at the earliest
possible moment, how at the instant of birth, accord-

116 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

ing to old-established custom, the doors were thrown
open and all the crowds from the streets poured into
the palace, and even into the bedchamber, till the
unhappy Queen nearly died of suffocation, and the
King himself burst open a window near by to give
her air. The Princesse had arranged a sign with her
friend by which she was to let her know the sex of
the infant so soon as born, and when she heard it was
a girl, Marie Antoinette swooned with disappoint-
ment, and had to be bled in the foot. Shortly
after, the Princesse herself fainted, and had to be
carried away. Altogether a fearful business, and one
from which it is a wonder all those concerned escaped
alive.

Although she would never be able to reign over
France, little Marie Therese Charlotte, Madame
Roy ale, was made very welcome, and great rejoicings
were held over her appearance. Almost immediately
after her birth, projects were made for her marriage,
and the Due de Chartres was very anxious to secure
her hand for his little son, the Due de Valois, while
the Comte d'Artois was equally eager that she should
be promised to his child, the little Due d'Angouleme.
Both the King and Queen favoured the latter, rather
to the chagrin of the Due de Chartres, and long years
later, after many adversities, the two cousins were
indeed made man and wife.

So soon as the Queen was reported to be doing
well, Madame de Lamballe returned to the Hotel de

THE QUEEN HAS MEASLES 117

Toulouse, where, after Mass on the 22nd December,
the King paid her his state visit of condolence on
her father's death, accompanied by Monsieur and
Madame, the Comte d'Artois, Madame Elizabeth, and
Mesdames Adelaide, Victoire, and Sophie. The Prin-
cesse was surrounded on this occasion by her relatives,
the Due de Penthievre, the Due and Duchesse de
Chartres, the Due and Duchesse de Bourbon, the
Prince and Princesse de Conti, and Mdlle. de Conde.
The year 1*779 opened joyfully for France, with
many public rejoicings over the birth and baptism of
the baby princess : a hundred poor girls were por-
tioned and married at Notre Dame, free performances
were given at the theatres, and the whole royal
family, accompanied by Madame de Lamballe in her
official capacity, attended a service of thanksgiving
at the cathedral early in February. A month later
Madame de Polignac developed an attack of measles,
and the Queen took it from her. She did not have
the complaint badly, but naturally the court was
much agitated about her, and her convalescence was
a particularly troublesome period. Queen though
she was, some sort of quarantine was bound to be
observed, and this irked her Majesty sorely. The
Princesse de Lamballe, who had had measles herself
the year before, was able to be with her, and in
former days this would have been all she desired ;
but now some more lively amusement seemed neces-
sary to her, so she persuaded the King to allow four

118 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

of the gayest gentlemen at court to wait upon her
every day. This permission determined itself into
the four gentlemen in qviestion living in her rooms
from early morning till eleven at night, except for
meals ; and her choice fell upon the Due de Coigny,
the Due de G-uines, the Baron de Bezenval, and the
Comte d'Esterhazy, all of them men of the laxest
reputation. Paris dubbed them in derision 'the
Queen's sick-nurses,' and the scandalous tales and
ribald suggestions made about them would scarcely
bear repeating. The Comte d'Artois also frequently
visited his sister-in-law, and although Madame and
the Princesse de Lamballe were usually supposed to
be sitting with the Queen, their presence served little
use in chaperonage. Of all the foolish things Marie
Antoinette did in her life, this was one of the worst ;
and Mercy did but voice the thoughts of all who
loved her when, at the end of her convalescence, he
exclaimed, ' Thank heaven this vexatious time is
over, and less harm come of it than might have
been expected.'

The first day she was pronounced free from infec-
tion, the Queen drove into Paris, and lunched tete-a-
tete with her beloved Comtesse de Polignac. This
lady had grown somewhat alarmed lest, during her
long separation from the Queen, the Princesse might
have regained something of her former influence, and
she quickly set herself to her old trick of insinuating
unkind things against her rival. Marie Antoinette

FRIENDS AT RAMBOUILLET 119

was so glad to be free from restraint that she proved
ready to believe anything, and all this year seems to
have been gayer, more reckless, and more inconsiderate
than ever. Somewhat disheartened, and in want of
rest herself, Madame de Lamballe left court for a
rather longer period than usual, going first to Bour-
bonne-les-Bains for the waters as a change from
Plombieres ; and later, back to her dear Eambouillet,
where, if ever, she could always find kindness and
peace.

Florian, now long past pagehood, an officier
d'ordonnance and gentleman grown, had lately re-
turned here to become confidential secretary to his
earliest friend, M. de Penthievre, and he gives us a
charming picture of the happy family party assem-
bled at Eambouillet during this summer of 1779.
Besides the Due, the Princesse, and Florian himself,
the Duchesse de Chartres and all her children had
arrived — the little Due de Yalois, a sturdy child of
six ; the Due de Montpensier, more delicate ; and the
twin baby daughters, with Madame de Genlis in
attendance. There were also the Duchesse de Luynes,
a lively lady who wrote comedies ; Mdlle. Bagarotti,
who had been celebrated in verse by Boufiiers ; M.
d'Autier, gentleman in attendance on the Due ; and
certain other ladies and gentlemen holding posts about
the various guests. The life was very simple : the
Due took his chocolate at nine, then rose and went
out, keeping in the open air as long as possible ; and

120 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

all staying there did much the same ; but the com-
pany was cultured and interesting, conversation cen-
tring much upon the children, and the best methods
of education for them. Madame de Genlis (whom
the Baronne d'Oberkirch describes as beautiful, intel-
lectual, and pedantic, and who was caricatured at the
time holding a piece of barley-sugar and a rod) had
already been intrusted by the Due with the chief
charge of his children's bringing-up, and although the
Duchesse could not force herself to approve of all her
ideas, or indeed wholly of Madame herself, she was
loth so far to interfere with her husband's wishes.
Madame de Genlis had very modern notions concern-
ing children and the proper method of rendering
them strong and self-reliant, insisted on giving them
hard beds, plain food, and plenty of bodily exercise —
even putting lead on little Valois' boots and making
him walk for miles. He was a strong boy to start
with, and it suited him ; she lived to see him King
of the French before she died ; but little Montpensier
was sickly and delicate, and the tender mother's
heart of the Duchesse trembled lest the Governess
should essay the same methods upon him. For a long
time he would not walk at all, but Madame de Genlis
determined to make him, and succeeded. She had a
room covered with mattresses, so that falls could not
hurt him, took him into it alone, and would not let him
out tiU he had overcome his fears. The Duchesse de
Luynes was immensely taken with Madame de Genlis'

A SUMMER AT RAMBOUILLET 121

ideas, and resolved to try them on her own grandson,
of whom she had sole charge. This she afterwards
did, and the poor child grew up in a room which was
little more than a cell ; it did not, however, ruin his
constitution, since he lived till 1868. Florian was a
great admirer of Voltaire, and Madame de Genlis
not ; they had many interesting discussions on the
subject. He also admired Cervantes, and had ideas
of his own concerning the simultaneous teaching of
history and geography to children, all of which pro-
voked much interesting and stimulating talk.

The Duehesse de Chartres herself had long since
ceased to care for anything but her children ; she
was again expecting to be confined in about a month's
time, and spoke so often of a poor woman she had
seen lately who had borne triplets, that Madame de
Genlis sarcastically hoped she might do the same,
and the Duehesse honestly and heartily echoed her
wish. This was not to be, however, and a third son,
the Comte de Beaujolais, was born to her in October.
M. de Penthievre adored children equally with his
daughter. Later, when the twins were at school at
the Convent of Belle Chasse, he would go five or six
times a year to see them, and always take them toys
or presents ; while their other grandfather, d'Orl^ans,
never went near them. The Vicomte d'Autier, de-
scribed as ' a worthy man, but dreadfully melancholy
and dull,' had a charming little daughter of seven
years named Henriette, and of this ' petite Anniette '

122 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

the Due made a great pet, spoiling her till her
mother, the good Vicomtesse, grew quite doubtful as
to her future. There was a statue of a little chimney-
sweep with a basket on his back in the hall of the
castle, and every morning a fresh toy appeared in this
basket for the delighted child. Of course there were
quarrels with the other children, and one day at table
little Valois took the place of Anniette, who promptly
began to cry. ' You are more reasonable than she,'
said the Due gravely to his grandson ; ' you will give
it up to her.' And another time, seeing the elderly
prince and the small child romping together on the
stairs, the Prineesse de Lamballe cried, laughing, ' I
don't know what you will do when she grows up, but
I really believe you will marry her ! ' Little Anniette
afterwards became the Marquise de Chant^rac.

From this life of simplicity and kindness the Prin-
eesse returned in the middle of October to her duties
at Versailles. She was coldly received, ' with total
loss of favour,' Mercy says. ' She is an object of
annoyance and embarrassment to every one, and no
one pays any attention to her.' Madame de Polignac
had also been away, at Spa, but had returned earlier
than her rival, and shortly after accompanied the
Queen to Marly. The Prineesse was half doubtful
whether to follow, but finally did so, only to find
everything very dull, the Queen always shut up with
Madame de Polignac, and the other ladies of the
court declaring that it was not of the slightest use

THE POWER OF THE POLIGNAC 123

for them to be in attendance at all, as there was
nothing for them to do. The Princesse, who was
never of energetic habits, spent most of her time in
her own room, and her enemies took advantage of
this seclusion to spread about a wicked tale that she
was enceinte, which it is even said the Queen was
induced to believe. So soon as she heard of it, the
Princesse indignantly made a point of showing herself
everywhere, and riding on horseback as often as
possible, in order to refute the calumny. In a kind
of desperation, too, she took to giving gay card-
parties, hoping the Queen might attend them, and it
is said the Due de Chartres lost as much as 800 louis
one evening in November at her table.

The Comtesse de Polignac now found herself so
indispensable to the Queen that she was able to make
her own terms for her society, and, tired of living in
small rooms in the palace, announced that it was
necessary to her health to reside in her own house in
Paris, whither she at once proceeded. The Queen
and court in consequence moved to Versailles, and
every morning Marie Antoinette drove in to visit and
lunch with her favourite. Her feeling for the Com-
tesse does indeed at this time appear to have been an
absolute infatuation. The following summer Madame
de Polignac gave birth to a son, and for the few
months before, the Queen hardly ever left her. She
insisted on moving the court to La Muette for ten
days that she might be nearer, would have no proper

124 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

meals, but arrived at lier friend's house at ten o'clock
every morning, took a glass of milk with her, and
spent the whole day by her bedside, even inducing
the King to pay her a private visit, an honour
he had never before conferred upon any subject.
When the court returned to Versailles, the Queen was
only able to see her favourite twice a week ; but they
were soon happily reunited at Trianon, and not long
after Comte Jules de Polignac was created a Due,
and his wife 'took the tabouret.' One almost
wonders why this distinction had not been conferred
upon them before, but, to do her justice, the Comtesse
seems to have cared very little about rank, and pro-
bably it was only granted now in consequence of the
marriage of her daughter this summer to the Due de
Guiche. The child— for she was no more, and in-
deed became a mother at fourteen — received 800,000
livres dowry from the Queen, and a great many more
of her parents' debts were also paid to make things
pleasant on such an auspicious occasion; but the
money the Due and Duchesse de Polignac thus ob-
tained did not nearly cover all that they owed.

Eemembering the simple pleasures of that happy
summer among the children at Rambouillet, the
Princesse must often have regretted her own child-
lessness. She was now past thirty, and though it is
scarcely true to say of her that since her marriage she
' had had nothing but tears to shed,' she had certainly
suffered her full share of sorrow, neglect, and disillu-

ETIENNETTE D'AMBLIMONT 125

sion. But in the autumn of 1779 her lady-in-
waiting, Mdlle. de Gu^briant, afterwards Madame de
Las Cases, introduced to her notice a young cousin of
her own, Mdlle. Beatrix Etiennette d'Amblimont, to
whom the Princesse took an immediate liking, offer-
ing her a post in her household, and treating her
henceforth almost as her own chUd. Since this
Mdlle. d'Amblimont, or Madame de Lage as she
shortly afterwards became, was much about the
Princesse during her later years, some words of
explanation concerning her may be useful. She was
at this time about sixteen, and very pretty ; like
most people born towards the end of April, of a warm
and energetic character, a good lover, a good hater,
and given to outspoken remarks concerning anything
that came into her head. She adored the Princesse,
but was never slow to criticise any action of hers of
which she did not approve. ' It will be an honour,'
she exclaims to a correspondent, 'to say in my old
age that I belonged to the household of the Due de
Penthievre ' ; but ' our neighbouring palace will not
be so glorious.' The neighbouring palace was the
Palais Eoyal, where Chartres and his father Orleans
were already winning looks askance by their odd and
disloyal actions. Letters of the Princesse de Lam-
balle are not easy to come by, since she wrote few,
and those addressed to the Queen, Marie Antoinette
later destroyed lest they should compromise the
writer ; but l^tiennette d'Amblimont kept some,

126 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

written in the Princesse's tiny straight hand, so uni-
form as to be almost illegible, and reproduced them
long after in her most interesting Souvenirs d'^mi-
gration. Here is one, written evidently early in
their acquaintance, when Mdlle. d'Amblimont was
apparently under some treatment for her eyes : —

' Wednesday.
' I could not write to you, my dear child ; you
know I cannot always do all I wish. I write to you
before another attack, so as not to fail again ; and tell
you that your little note charmed me. All the same
I forbid you to write ; you must be careful of your
eyes. I don't want my child to lose her pretty eyes,
and I want her to keep very quiet. Patience, that
will make you strong again. Your three weeks will
be over on Sunday, and I shall make a point of going
to see you one of the first days. Adieu, dear little
one, I have been very worried about you, but I do
not love you any the less, with all my heart. I shall
have plenty of things to tell you, but I must live on
expectation. I limit myself to asking you to take
care of yourself, if you love me a little.'

So fond was the Princesse of Etiennette that the
girl's own mother grew jealous, particularly when, a
year or two later, Madame de Lamballe wished to
arrange a marriage for her with the young Comte de
Lage de Volude, a naval officer, whom she had known
since his childhood, but who possessed no great for-

THE QUEEN'S INFATUATION 127

tune. The Comte and Comtesse d'Amblimont thought
their daughter might do better, but the Princesse
had had sufficient experience of unhappy marriages
to feel character of more importance than wealth, and
she knew that of the young sailor to be irreproachable.
Nevertheless, she was obliged for a time to drop her
interest in the matter, though resolved to carry it
through at some later date.

During the summer and early autumn of 1780
Madame de Polignac again incited the Queen to wild
and foolish doings. The latest amusement was acting ;
and plays which had been rash enough long ago, when
merely presented to the family and acted by prin-
cesses, became more than unwise when the Queen
took part in them, and, requiring a larger audience,
admitted the gentlemen of the guard to look on. The
chief parts were always taken by Marie Antoinette
and her favourite, neither of whom could act well,
and the performance merely made the spectators
smile, and diminished the respect in which they should
have held their sovereign. Admittance to these festivi-
ties was very arbitrary, and Madame de Polignac one
day induced the Queen to refuse it to Madame de Lam-
balle, whose rank as Superintendent of the Household
alone should of course have given her the right to be
present, even if friendship denied it : needless to say
this incident wounded her very deeply. It was
merely thoughtlessness on Marie Antoinette's part,
no doubt, but Madame de Polignac knew well the

128 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

consequences of what she asked. In October Mercy
notes that ' the Princesse is very little seen at court.
The Queen, it is true, visited her on her father's
death, but it is the first mark of kindness she has
received for long.' This is the last time the Prin-
cesse is mentioned in Mercy's correspondence, since
shortly after he resigned his ambassadorship and
retired into private life.

The poor lady had indeed much to trouble her.
Early in November her eldest brother died. Prince
Victor of Savoy-Carignan, he who had stood proxy
for her husband at the marriage, and to whom she
had always been greatly attached. He was succeeded
by his son, Charles Emmanuel ; but even this loss was
not so great a trial to her as the worry she had been
enduring all this year concerning the affairs of her
other brother Eugene, he for whom a commission had
been found in the French army, and who was known
as the Comte de Villefranche. She does not seem to
have seen nearly so much of Eugene as she had
anticipated when it had been arranged that he should
remain in France, for he had been quartered at
Granville, Pontorson, Avranches, and various places
rather beyond her neighbourhood ; but she had
always cherished a great affection for him, and was
deeply distressed when she learned that he had made
a rash and highly unsuitable marriage. The lady
was a Mdlle. Elizabeth Anne Magon de Boisgarein,
and though nothing was said against her character,

MARRIAGE OF COMTE DE VILLEFRANCHE 129

her people were but respectable bourgeoisie of St.
Malo, where the Savoy-Carignan regiment was at
that time settled ; while the Comte de Villefranche
had been treated almost as a French Prince of the
Blood. The King of Sardinia was furious, at first
pronouncing that Eugene should be disinherited ; but
he afterwards relented from this, only on the condi-
tion that his inheritance should not pass to his
children. The marriage actually took place — in
great haste — on December 27, 1779, but it does
not seem to have immediately transpired, for in spite
of the indignation it aroused among the young
Prince's relatives, no action was taken with regard
to it till the following September, when, some formal
irregularity in the ceremony having been discovered.
Parliament declared the marriage annulled. Now
comes the extraordinary part of the affair. Louis
XVI., whose usual good nature had given way to the
sharpest anger, and whose first impulse had been to
deprive Eugfene of his commission and order him to
leave France, now that the marriage was really
dissolved, not only wished, but insisted, that it
should be re-solemnised with every necessary legality
as soon as possible, and in February 1781 this
was done ; Mdlle. Magon being recognised as the
Prince's wife, though known only as the Comtesse de
Pommeryt. One son was born from this union, of
which the Carignan family, though still very angry,
had to make the best it could ; but the relations

130 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

between the Princesse de Lamballe and her favourite
brother remained unhappily strained till the close of
his life.

Marie Antoinette paid her friend a short and
frigid visit of condolence on the death of her
brother, spent ' a few moments ' with her, and hurried
away to amuse herself; but when, on the 29th
November, her own mother died, she was sobered at
once, and glad to fall back upon that affection which
never yet had failed her. The great Empress's cry to
her daughter on her early accession to the crown of
France had been, ' Change nothing.' Marie Antoi-
nette had changed all. Yet the disaster already
looming on her horizon might not really have been
long postponed however wise a course she had
chosen ; and Maria Theresa at least saw her child a
mother — if not her dearest wish, the mother of a
Dauphin — before her death. The Queen seems to have
been deeply affected by her mother's death, and shut
herself up alone with the Princesse de Lamballe and
the Duchesse de Polignac during the chief part of
the winter. As usual at rare periods of sorrow, the
rather callous witticisms of the Duchesse jarred upon
her ; and once again, for a brief time, she turned to
the ever faithful heart of her earliest friend. Sud-
denly sensible of the immense favours she had
heaped upon the Polignacs, and her late neglect of
the Princesse, she arranged that a further sum of
40,000 livres should be added to the income of

A GLEAM OF FAVOUR 131

Madame de Lamballe, whose charities were increasing
every year : nor did this addition bring her revenue
within a long way of the enormous sums the
Polignacs took, used, and used entirely upon
themselves.

132 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

CHAPTER XI

1780-5

One of the most curious incidents of this period in
France was the immense and fashionable interest
taken in Freemasonry. Most of the innumerable
-lodges springing up throughout the country and
especially in Paris were, it is true, mere cloaks for
the revolutionary sentiments and talk already rife
among certain classes of the people ; but others, and
ostensibly all, managed to do a great deal of good
among the poor, providing schools and almshouses,
dowering maidens, succouring prisoners, and pro-
moting general friendliness ; while at the same time
amusing themselves with harmless little secret rites
and meetings. Nearly all the chief men in France
were members, and strange though it appears, many
of the women too : for Sisters as well as Brothers
were admitted to the Lodges of Adoption, and certain
of the Lodges were managed entirely by ladies. The
Due de Chartres was particularly interested in
Freemasonry, and had succeeded the Comte de
Clermont as Grand Master some years before ; while
his sister the Duchesse de Bourbon was Grand

THE PRINCESSE AS A FREEMASON 133

Mistress of the Lodge of St. Jean de la Candeur,
founded in 1*775 : and he easily persuaded his wife
and the Princesse de Lamballe also to become Sisters.
These mixed meetings seem to have been very
ordinary evening parties, with dancing or a theatrical
performance : the guests were perhaps received under
crossed swords, or greeted in (very bad) rhyme :
there were toasts, and a book signed, and after the
new Sister had been received, there was little to
distinguish the assembly from any other fashionable
soiree. Madame de Lamballe had been affiliated on
February 12, 1777, and she paid several visits to
the lodge after, sometimes signing herself Soeur
Princesse de Lamballe, and sometimes her usual
signature, M. T. L. de Savoye.

At the ceremony of Adoption, some regular (that
is, male) members must be present ; and the new
Sister took vows to listen, obey, work, and be silent.
There was a proper costume for the occasion, a white
dress, white leather apron bordered with blue silk,
and white gloves, the cost of which the Sister de-
frayed herself. She also wore a white satin garter
bordered with blue, on which was written, ' Silence
and Virtue/ on her left arm ; and a blue moir^ ribbon
with a flaming heart and an apple embroidered on it
across her breast. All fines and collections made
were given to the poor. In January 1781 a further
honour was offered to the Princesse de Lamballe :
she was made Grand Mistress of the Scottish

134 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

Lodge, which was the head of all the Lodges
of Adoption ; and in the end of February her in-
stallation took place. Lauzun rather sneeringly
tells how all her little court played at the Mason
Mysteries : Madame de Soyecourt representing Her
Most Serene Highness the Grand Mistress, Madame
de Tolozan the Inspectress, Madame de Bouille the
Speaker, Madame de Montalembert the Secretary,
Madame d'Hinnisdal the Chancelloress, Madame
de Lostange and Madame de Boynes the Almoners,
Madame de Berc the Chief Mistress of the Cere-
monies, and Madame de Lascases the Terrible
Sister. So universal was the interest in Free-
masonry that the Queen herself, though not belong-
ing to the society, asked the Princesse often of
it ; and later this same year there is a letter extant
from her in which, writing with unaccustomed
tenderness, she says : —

' I see that you still care for me, my dear Lam-
balle ; it is such a pleasure to me to see your dear
handwriting that I do not know how I can repay
you. I am glad you are well, but one must not
flatter oneself for nothing, if you continue to watch
as you do over M. de Penthi^vre. His indisposition
distresses the King much, and he is sending his own
physician with orders to stay with you if there is
any danger : I shall be very sad as long as I have no
news of the crisis. As soon as you return and take

THE QUEEN'S CHARITIES 135

up your charge, we will finish all business attaching
to the acts of benefaction which should follow my
accouchement. I have read with interest what has
been done in the Masonic Lodges over which you
presided at the commencement of the year, and about
which you amused me so. ... I see that they do
not only sing pretty songs, but that they also do
good. Your Lodges have followed in our steps by
delivering prisoners, and marrying young women.
That will not prevent you from dowering ours, and
placing the children who are on our list : the pro-
tegees of good M. de Penthievre shall be the first
thought of, and I wish to be godmother to the first
child of the little Antoinette. I was quite affected
by a letter from her mother which Elizabeth showed
me, for Elizabeth protects her also. I do not think
it would be possible to write with more sentiment
and religion. In those classes there are hidden
virtues ; honest hearts open to the highest Christian
feelings ; let us think how to distinguish them. I
shall charge the Abb^ to work to discover them,
and we shall try to obtain from God good health
for M. de Penthifevre. Adieu, my dear heart, I
embrace you with all my heart and await your letter.

Marie Antoinette.'

The Queen's sister, the Archduchess Marie Christine,
tried, and as we now know with some reason, to
frighten her concerning the enormous growth of

136 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

Freemasonry, but Marie Antoinette only replied,
' Every one belongs to it, so all that goes on there is
known, and where can the danger be ? ' Lady Masons
continued to be fashionable in France for many
years, and even the Empress Josephine was Grand
Mistress of a Lodge of Adoption.

On the 22nd October 1781 France was made
happy by the birth of a Dauphin. More order was
kept in the Queen's room on this occasion, and
though the royal family and members of the house-
hold were present, the riff-raff of the streets was not
admitted. Madame de Lamballe was of course there
in her official position, but not the Duchesse de
Polignac. Strict injunctions were given that no one
was to tell the Queen of the child's sex, but the King
was so delighted to find himself the father of a son
that he himself broke the rule, from which lapse
happily no ill efi"ects followed. The Queen recovered
quickly, and there was much gaiety at court all that
winter. Madame d'Artois was ill at the New Year,
and it was not till the 11th January that the Prin-
cesse de Lamballe sent her formal good wishes to the
King and Queen, pleading as an excuse that she had
been anxious about her cousin. On the 12 th, how-
ever, she gave a great ball, at which the King was
present ; earlier still, she and her father-in-law (now
somewhat recovered from his illness) had stood god-
parents at the Hotel de Toulouse to the little daughter
of the Marquis de Mordant de Massiac, and on the

WEDDING OF MDLLE. D'AMBLIMONT 137

16th she took prominent part in the wedding of her
favourite maid of honour, ifitiennette d'Amblimont,
to the young Comte de L^ge de Volude, a marriage
which she had long been anxious to bring about. It
will be remembered that the Comte and Comtesse
d'Amblimont considered the suitor of scarcely suffi-
cient fortune to aspire to their daughter, but finding
the stern parents quite ready to contradict one
another, the Princesse exercised her diplomacy in
taking each apart separately and pointing out the
advantages of the alliance ' if only, alas ! Monsieur
your husband (or Madame your wife) were not so set
against it.' The ruse worked like magic, for each
was determined not to let the other have his or her
own way, and Etiennette was happily married to her
young Comte amid great rejoicings on January 16th,
as the Comtesse de Lage hereafter playing a constant
part in the fortunes of her Princesse. In anticipation
it may be said that Madame de Lamballe was justified
of her foresight in the marriage, which turned out a
happy one, and three charming little girls were born
of it ; to the eldest of whom the Princesse and the
Due de Penthievre stood godparents at a crowded
christening party at the Hotel de Toulouse exactly a
year later.

On the 20 th January the Comtesse de Lage was
presented at court on her marriage ; and the same day
saw the presentation of a certain young Madame de
Ginestous, daughter of the Genovese Minister at

138 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

London and Madrid, also on her marriage, and also a
lady-in-waiting to tlie Princesse de Lamballe. Of
her, too, more will be heard later. On the 21st
January the Queen, accompanied by the Superinten-
dent of her Household, went in state from La Muette
to give thanks at Notre Dame and St. Genevifeve ;
then proceeding to a banquet at the Hotel de Ville,
of which seventy persons partook ; and so, after
witnessing the illumination of the city, home. At
this banquet, where Madame de Lamballe was seated
next to Madame Adelaide, a Ehine carp had been
procured expressly for the King at the cost of four
thousand francs ; he ate one mouthful of it, but said
it was tough, and sent it away. It was not correct
for any man to eat at the King's table ; and though
this rule was waived in favour of his two brothers,
all the other Princes of the Blood were served apart,
and complained after that the King ate so fast and
rose so soon that they had had time for nothing
but radishes and butter. Nevertheless, seventy-eight
dishes were served at the King's table, and it was
reckoned that 102,000 francs had been expended on
butcher's meat alone.

On the 22nd the Queen and court dined with the
Comte dArtois at his residence in the Temple, a
place which by some strange anticipation she always
hated and often begged to have destroyed ; and
anxious now as ever to escape from it, she insisted on
taking Madame de Lamballe and thirty-nine other

;jr:^r-tg~Tsa

REJOICINGS ON THE DAUPHIN'S BIRTH 139

ladies on with her to a great ball being given at the
Hotel de Ville, at which the King was present, but
where she herself was not expected. On this occasion
she made no attempt at disguise and carried her mask
on her arm ; but though loudly greeted, the crowd was
great and none too courtly, and she might have been
crushed to death had not the King pushed hard with
his elbows and made a way for her to withdraw.
All this could never have happened in a former reign,
but no one seems to have realised how quickly the
populace was losing its respect for royalty, very
greatly owing to the Queen's own unconventionality
and ill-judged condescension. Another instance of
this occurred on the 30th, when the King's Guard
gave a great ball in the Opera Hall at Versailles ; to
which Marie Antoinette went, and danced herself
with one of the privates. They were all of course of
good family, but mischief was done by it all the
same. Madame de Lamballe accompanied her to
this ball, though very anxious at the time about her
sister-in-law, who, with her two little daughters, lay
seriously ill with measles. The Duchesse herself
recovered, but one of the twins died on Feb-
ruary 6th.

In the spring of 1782, the Grand Duke and Duchess
Paul of Russia arrived on an incognito visit to Paris,
travelling as the Comte and Comtesse de Nord : and
in their train came the Baronne d'Oberkirch, from
whose pleasant and charming memoirs many interest-

140 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

ing descriptions of the men and women of the time
have been drawn. The Baronne kept a careful record
of all the entertainments offered to her Comte and
Comtesse, and gives an enthusiastic account of a day
spent at Sceaux in the end of May, when the Prin-
cesse de Lamballe and the Duchesse de Chartres
assisted the Due de Penthievre to receive his noble
guests. The weather was lovely, says Madame
d'Oberkirch, and the beauty of the gardens be-
yond all praise; the party v , ..ed, drove, ate, and
found the hours all too sW ' for their enjoyment.
A week later she describes; ^lightful supper given
by the Princesse de Lan after the court ball.

The company was small and -^'ery select, but all the
royal family were present, ano even the King came
in for a few minutes. Lotto, a very fashionable
game then, was played for some time, and much
money lost ; afterwards, the guests danced, the Queen
taking part in the quadrilles, and the party did not
break up till four o'clock in the morning. ' Beyond
comparison the court is gayer than formerly,' sums
up the Baronne.

For the remainder of this year, after the departure
of the Nords, we hear very little of the Princesse.
Early in August she and M. de Penthievre both sus-
tained a great loss in the death of the Due's almoner,
M. de Tascher ; late in September she was inoculated
at Passy : in December she presented her lady of
honour the Marquise de Las Cases : and on the last

BANKRUPTCY OF THE GU^M^N^S 141

day of the year, anxious to hear Garat, the new
musician, she told the Abb^ Estagnac, who had dis-
covered him, that she would come to his house for
the purpose. A good deal of talk was caused by the
poor Abb^, in his wish to do her honour, engaging
the Hotel des Invalides for the recital instead, and
having his cousin, a good homely bourgeoise Madame
Gilibert, to receive the distinguished guest ; but we
may be sure the Princesse was amiable and charming
as ever to the poor flustered lady. Madame de
Lamballe took always a deep interest in any young
persons of promise, and it is therefore somewhat
remarkable to note the omission of her name the
preceding August, when Florian, her particular
protege, received the prize before a great audience for
his ' Dialogue between Voltaire and a Serf of the
Jura Mountains.' In September 1782 great changes
obtained in the Queen's Household, in consequence of
the sensational bankruptcy of the Prince and Princesse
de Guemene for thirty-three millions. An element
of nobility may be found in some failures, but here
was none ; all had been sheer greed and ruin ;
thousands suffered by their recklessness, and it was
felt highly unfortunate that Madame de Guemene
should — at one time at least — have been an intimate
friend of the Queen's, for whom she had indeed made
many and dangerous enemies. The defaulting Prince
and Princesse had of course to resign the posts they
held about the court, and the important position of

142 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

Governess to the royal children was immediately
granted by the Queen to the Duchesse de Polignac.
The appointment was a foregone conclusion, but
seems to have given satisfaction to no one. Marie
Antoinette, it is said, would really have preferred
Madame de Duras, her dame d'atours, and Madame
de Polignac was greatly bored with her new duties,
which she constantly neglected ; although she would
have been deeply offended had the post been offered
to any one else. On the plea of ill-health she con-
stantly absented herself from court, and in order to
conceal her neglect, the Queen was often obliged to
take charge of, and even teach, her children herself.

The year 1783 was again spent very quietly by
the Princesse de Lamballe. She gave her usual
winter ball at Versailles on the 11th January; and
early in February purchased a house at Passy from
the Duchesse de Luynes for one hundred and ten
thousand livres ; but apparently somewhat anxious
about the Due de Penthifevre, whose health had been
failing rapidly of late, spent most of her time at his
side. In a little note written to Madame de L&ge
about now, she says, ' I have done all I can, my dear
child, to read your sister's letter, but I could not get
to the end of it ; certainly her handwriting does not
resemble her pretty fingers ! I should be very dull
here if I were not with M. de Penthifevre, who treats
me always with an ever increasing kindness. ... I
devour books and letters, and have run through all

THE KING BUYS RAMBOUILLET 143

this little library. The Contes of Marmontel seemed
to me very dull.' She seems to have read much
about now, and Etiennette de Lage tells how often
the good Due, on his way to the castle chapel, would
come upon her and her mistress deep in some moving
romance, and shaking his head kindly, would call
them 'frivolous little people, who were young now,
but would some day read something better.'

Louis XVI. was usually an unselfish man, but in
the autumn of this year he did a very selfish thing.
Possessing few enthusiasms, he, like all his race, had
a perfect passion for hunting ; and long had he cast
envious eyes upon the fair parks and forests of Ram-
bouillet. It seems there was some idea that Louis xiv.
wished the estate to revert to his legitimate descend-
ants by purchase if they desired it ; but when the
suggestion was first made to the Due de Penthi^vre,
he was very loth to consider it. He possessed many
other castles, it is true ; but Eambouillet stood far
the dearest to him : his father had died there ; he
himself had been born and married there ; his
children born and buried there ; it held too the
tombs of his parents and his wife ; he was approach-
ing old age, and had hoped himself to die ^nd lie
there with his kin. Nevertheless, the King persisted,
saying that the ' possession of Eambouillet would
bring gladness into his life.' 'Then, sire,' said the
fine old Due, 'it is no longer mine. Permit me
merely to remove my bones and my poor.' The

144 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

estate was valued by experts at sixteen million
livres, which sum was paid in December 1783 to
the Due, who with it bought another castle at
Chateauneuf-sur-Loire, near Orleans : the contract
was signed by him at Sceaux. He had left his
beloved home the preceding July, and only returned
in November with the Princesse de Lamballe and
the faithful Florian to fetch the coffins of his family,
and carry them to Dreux Cathedral, where they were
reinterred, — a melancholy errand. There were nine
coffins, those of the Comte and Comtesse de Toulouse,
the Due's parents ; of his wife the late Duchesse de
Penthievre ; his son, the Prince de Lamballe ; and
five other children who had died in infancy. The
sad procession was met and accompanied by crowds
of weeping villagers, who sorrowed, as they well
might, for the departure of their good master. The
Due removed his almshouses to his new neighbour-
hood, and never saw Rambouillet again.

After a retired winter, we find the Princesse again
at court for Easter, when it was always her duty to
attend the Queen to her Easter Communion, and hold
the napkin for her while she took the Sacrament. On
Good Friday the Queen washed the hands of twelve
poor girls, and, assisted by Madame Elizabeth and
the Princesse de Lamballe, waited upon them after-
wards at table. Madame Elizabeth was twenty now,
a grave, religious-minded girl, usually silent, but
with a surprisingly firm and energetic character on

VISIT OF THE KING OF SWEDEN 145

occasions : she had always wished to enter a convent,
but in deference to the King's wishes, promised to
wait till she was thirty before taking such a step.
Yet her eldest brother was not her favourite, and
though throughout the Eevolution she remained at
the post of danger till her death, her sympathies
were always rather with M. de Provence and the
exiles.

In the summer of 1784 another distinguished
royal guest, the King of Sweden, arrived in Paris ;
and spent some six weeks there in great enjoyment,
under the title of the Comte de Haga. Gustavus iii.
loved France and all things French ; but perhaps of
all the French aristocracy he, a true king of romance,
had the greatest admiration and regard for the Due
de Penthi^vre and the Princesse de Lamballe. His
last visit had been to Turin ; and the very day after
his arrival in Paris, he appeared without any warn-
ing in Madame de Lamballe's ante-room, charged
with all sorts of affectionate messages from her
family. She was surprised, but delighted to receive
him, and he was shown apparently into her bedroom ;
but, as he insisted on the strict observance of his
incognito, he was a very easy guest to entertain. He
asked for M. de Penthievre, and the Princesse sent
to inform him, pulling forward ordinary chairs her-
self ; but when the Due entered, he more punctiliously
offered an armchair to the King. ' Not for the Comte
de Haga,' replied Gustavus; to whom M. de Penthievre

146 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

then presented his gentlemen in attendance, and
they all stayed chatting pleasantly for some time.
When the King went, both doors were ceremoniously
thrown open, but he would not permit his host to
come down to the door with him, and even M.
d'Autier was stopped half way. The visit was
returned and repeated several times ; and Gustavus
showed his real affection for his pretty hostess many
years later when he proved a true friend to her in
her time of saddest distress.

Many balls, operas, fetes, and entertainments of
every description were given in honour of the
Swedish King, but perhaps the most original was
an exhibition of ballooning, then quite a new and
very fashionable discovery. The year before, M. de
Montgolfier had sent up a Globe aerostatique at
Versailles in the presence of the King and court,
attaching to it a basket containing a live lamb, cock,
and duck, to prove if it were possible for animals to
live in the superior air. In twenty minutes the
balloon had disappeared, but a few hours later,
news arrived that it had descended in the wood of
Vaucresson, half a league from its place of departure;
and when found, the basket had been broken off, but
the lamb, cock, and duck, apparently not a whit the
worse, were busily engaged in finding their dinner
close by. The King and royal family were much
struck with this experiment ; and a month later,
the Marquis d'Arlande and M. Pilatre de Eozier

BALLOON ASCENTS 147

themselves ascended, ' majestically,' to the height
of 250 feet, when the 'intrepid voyagers' took off
their hats and waved them, saluting the spectators
beneath. Immense interest was created in the new
possibility, and the King gave the Messrs. Montgolfier
letters of nobility and a grant of 400,000 livres in
order to perfect the discovery : while the Princesse
de Lamballe presided at a solemn banquet held at
the Loge Candeur, when a laurel wreath was given
to the Montgolfiers, and a medal to an obscure but
heroic pensioner. Benjamin Franklin, in France at
the time, witnessed one of these ascensions, and was
asked to point out the good of the discovery, to
which he replied that ' it was still in its infancy as
yet, but like any other child might grow into either
a beast or a man of wit.' So novel an exhibition
was naturally put in use to amuse the Comte de
Haga ; and Madame de Lamballe made one of a
brilliant gathering at Versailles on the 2.3rd June,
when at exactly a quarter to five, a balloon was sent
up in his honour. The Due de Chartres was also
much interested in ballooning, and had a balloon
made for him by the Roberts brothers, in which
rumour chose to suggest that he took his sister-
in-law up, and they dined together after at Villers-
Cotterets. But rumour already began to make free
with great names at court, and where no scandal
could be found, to invent it.

In August arrived another Prince, Henry, brother

148 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

to the King of Prussia, travelling as the Comte
d'Oels ; and him also M. de Penthi&vre entertained
at his castle at Anet : but for the remainder of the
year one hardly finds Madame de Lamballe's name
mentioned at any of the court festivities. Her
health had for long been very indifferent ; and
receiving no very warm welcome at Versailles, she
preferred to remain in the quiet of the country as
much as possible with her beloved father-in-law.
A note from the Queen, written shortly before this,
is almost cruel in its brevity and coldness : ' I only
reply to you to prove my affection,' she says, 'for
I am overwhelmed with audiences and business.'
And Polignacs, one might add : for already it was
whispered that the Queen grew vexed at times with
the careless familiarities of the Duchesse, who yet
nevertheless retained such an ascendency over her
that she could not bear to be parted from her. Yet
not so would she once have written to her earliest
friend. Well has Lescure named Madame de Lam-
balle and Count Fersen the ' courtiers of sorrow ' :
little mentioned in the days of brilliance, but constant
and faithful through the nights of storm.

In November 1784, Florian, now becoming a
recognised poet, dedicated his Six Nouvelles to the
Princesse in the following graceful verse : —

' Princesse, pardonnez, en lisant cet ouvrage,

Si vous y retrouvez, crayonn^s par ma main,
Les traits charmants de votre image :

J'ai voulu de mon livre assurer le destin.

FIRE AT THE H6TEL DE TOULOUSE 149

Pour embellir les heroines,
A Tune j'ai donn^ votre aimable candeur,
A I'autre ce regard, ce sourire enchanteur,
Ces graces a la fois et naives et fines.

Ainsi, partageant vos attraits,
Entre ma C^lestine, Elvire et Felicie,

II a suffit d'un de vos traits

Pour que chacune fflt jolie.'

Just about Christmas, when the Due and the
Princesse had returned to Paris, and were staying
at the Hotel de Toulouse, a dangerous fire broke
out one night in the Princesse's room which might
have had very serious consequences. She was retir-
ing to bed at one o'clock in the early morning of the
24th December, when a strong smell of burning was
noticed, and almost immediately after, flames burst
out from the wainscoting in the ante-chamber to her
bedroom. Hurrying herself to rouse the Due, her
attendants at once gave the alarm, and the fire was
quickly mastered, but not before the news had
spread across to the Palais Royal, where the Duchesse
de Chartres, already undressing, with a shriek of '
mon Dieu ! My father ! ' flew downstairs before she
could be stopped, and half dressed, ran through the
snowy courtyard to the Hotel de Toulouse, where
she threw herself into the arms of M. de Penthievre.
Many and kind inquiries were made the following
day. The fire was ultimately traced to a man
named Poulailler, who had assassinated a keeper,
and for whose arrest the Due had ofi"ered a reward

150 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

of 100 louis. He had already three times set fire to
the Due's forests in revenge ; but was not captured
till the following July, when he was hung for other
crimes.

The year 1785 found Madame de Lamballe still
in the most wretched of health. In February she
bought the H6tel Louvois for her stables, at a cost of
100,000 livres. On the 27 th March the Queen
gave birth to a second son, the Due de Normandie,
and the Princesse attended her then, and at Easter :
taking an official part too in May in the public cele-
brations of the event, when she received her Majesty
at Notre Dame on the 23rd. Two days later, the
Queen dined with her in Paris, before going to the
Com^die Italienne, and was shocked to find in how
nervous and depressed a state she was. The waters
she was accustomed to take had ceased to do her any
good : she had tried every possible remedy without
avail, and had even been persuaded to consult Deslon,
a pupil of Mesmer, who had a great vogue in Paris
that year, but who was regarded somewhat as a quack
and a charlatan, and into whose proceedings the King
had been advised to appoint a commission. Deslon,
however, was of no use, and the Comte d'Artois
recommended the Princesse his own physician, Dr.
Saifiert, whom she seems to have liked, since she
retained his services after, though we find no imme-
diate improvement in her health. Marie Antoinette
was particularly distressed concerning her, since she

DEATH OF PRINCE EUGfiNE 151

knew, though the Princesae did not, that her brother
Eugene, the Comte de Villefranche, lay seriously ill
at his castle of Domart on the Luce near Amiens ;
and she wrote privately to Etiennette de Lage beg-
ging her to keep this news from her mistress as long
as possible. The advice was no doubt kindly meant,
but the Princesse's grief was but all the greater when,
on the 30th June, she heard merely of her brother's
death, and reflected that she had never been wholly
reconciled to him since his unfortunate marriage.
Already ill and worried, her self-reproaches plunged
her for the time into the deepest melancholy. The
Queen came again to condole with her, and the court
went into mourning for three days for this young
prince, who, aged thirty-two, had died of a quinsy at
Domart, where he was buried. His regiment was
given to the Due d'Angouleme, the Comte d'Artois'
young son. He left one son, Joseph Marie, not yet
four years old, whom the King gave in guardianship
to the Baron de Breteuil, and who was afterwards
known as the Chevalier de Savoy. This young man
and his mother remained in France, living very
obscurely, throughout the Eevolution; after which
the mother wrote to Napoleon, imploring a post in
the army for her son, which the Emperor granted.

152 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

CHAPTER XII

1785-9

In the summer of 1785 the first open blow was struck
at the position and fair fame of Marie Antoinette.
The extraordinary confusion which surrounds every
incident of the Diamond Necklace story has already
called forth volumes of explanation, and it is not
proposed to add anything to it here : the Queen was
quite innocent of all complicity in the disgraceful
business, but unfortunately she had not prepared the
way for her people to place implicit trust in her
word against adverse evidence. They knew much
that was true concerning her frivolity and extrava-
gance, and were prepared to believe any further ac-
cusations against her. Even her natural charity
towards the wretched woman Lamotte, who had so
injured her, was but regarded as proof positive that
Lamotte had been the Queen's accomplice. The
trial dragged on for a year, and Marie Antoinette's
character changed utterly under the strain. She
became grave and sad, distrustful of many whom she
had trusted too much before ; and she never cared to
wear jewels or gay dresses again.

ENEMIES OF THE COURT 153

Enemies were indeed growing thick about her, and
one of the deadliest was the Due de Chartres, on his
father's death in November of this year, the Duo
d'Orleans. Once handsome and polished, evil living
had destroyed this man, alike in looks, manners, and
morals. His face was covered with carbuncles, his
hair falling oflf, his senses stupefied ; he ' lived,' says
Carlyle, ' in dull smoke and ashes of outburnt sensu-
alities ' : 'in him confusion sits bottled.' Something
might perhaps have been made of him had fortune
and his own nature been kind, but his best impulses
were checked ; the King never trusted him ; the
court party opposed his promotion in the navy ; and
the Queen, who had at first been partial to him, later
imprudently turned her sharp wit to ridiculing him,
and this insult he never forgave. He possessed
much property, and three of his houses he let,
besides allowing shops to be built on the ground
floor of his own palace, an economy that brought
him many sneers. 'We hardly ever see you here on
Sundays now,' said Marie Antoinette : ' but I sup-
pose you are keeping shop.' It is hardly to be
wondered at, perhaps, that he avoided Versailles, and
that the Palais Royal became known as a refuge for
the discontented and the disloyal : being a Prince of
the Blood, no messenger of the law could enter his resi-
dence, and it grew a veritable meeting-place for con-
spirators. The Due de Lauzun and Madame de Coigny
affected his society, and it became almost fashionable

154 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

to be anti-court. So diflficult was it in fact to find
suitable company for the Queen to meet, tbat she
complained bitterly several times to the Duchesse de
Polignac of the people she encountered even in her
rooms ; and Madame de Polignac so far forgot herself
and the kindnesses she had received as to reply that
if the Queen did not care about her guests there was
no necessity for her to honour her parties. The
Duchesse had never felt any real aflfection for the
Queen, and now that her favour no longer meant
popularity, took little pains to preserve it ; but all
through the tragic worries of the long trial of the
necklace, it is said that Marie Antoinette cared more
and sorrowed deeper over her disappointment in her
favourite than over any loss of credit to herself

From July 1785 to May 1786, the Princesse de
Lamballe's name is not mentioned at any of the
court festivities ; the Duchesses de Luxembourg and
de Luynes attended the Queen at her Easter Com-
munion ; and the Princesse de Chimay was with her
when her little daughter Sophie was born. It is
evident that Madame de LambaUe left town imme-
diately after her brother's death, and th^it her ill-
health would not permit her to fulfil any of her
accustomed duties for some time. From the 11th
May to the l7th June, however, the Archduke Fer-
dinand and his wife, Marie Beatrice d'Este, visited
Paris as the Comte and Comtesse de Nettembourg ;
and on the 24th May they were entertained at a

VISIT TO THE SALPfiTRlJlRE 155

great dinner at Sceaux by the Due de Penthievre.
Eighty people sat down to the banquet, but the
Princesse de Lamballe, who was present to receive
the guests, ate apart at a small table in consequence
of her indisposition. The week before, the Princesse
de Conti had given a great supper, which Madame
de Lamballe and her father-in-law attended, but
again she felt too ill to sit through the long banquet,
and remained in the salon instead. On Sunday the
28tb, however, she gave a supper herself at the
H6tel de Toulouse to the Archduke and his wife, at
which Monsieur also bestowed the honour of his
presence ; and on this occasion apparently she took
her seat with the rest. The Due de Penthievre
afterwards called on Monsieur and thanked him for
coming to the entertainment ; and the Princesse did
the same to the Archduke and Archduchess.

She must have been glad when these festivities
were over, and does not seem to have accepted any
others. In the end of August, however, a curious
incident is related concerning her. She drove, it
seems, to the Saipetrifere, where Madame de Lamotte
was confined, and asked to see her, by her right as a
Princess of the Blood. The sister in charge. Sister
Victoire, refused absolutely to allow her to enter, on
the grounds that Lamotte was ' not yet condemned,'
a transparent excuse, since the trial had been at an
end in the preceding May ; but in spite of this, the
Princesse had finally to leave without achieving her

156 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

object. Every incident concerned with this myste-
rious business seems to hold a fresh mystery, and
what the Prineesse's object may have been has never
been explained : scarcely curiosity, as some have
suggested ; and more probably, as all her chroniclers
have taken for granted, the Queen chose this friend
as usual to carry out some charitable errand towards
the unhappy prisoner. At any rate, if she left money
for Lamotte, it never reached her, and was perhaps
divided among the other prisoners ; since evidently
Sister Victoire meant to throw no pleasing light upon
the Queen or any other ladies of the court. Eventu-
ally Lamotte escaped, and it is said, not without
reason, by Marie Antoinette's assistance.

In October the Princesse was again in the country
with her father- and sister-in-law and the Orleans
children ; and record is made of a delightful expedi-
tion one day to an old friend of the Due's, M. de
Belleval, at his Chateau de Bois Robin near Aumale.
The visit became a regular annual treat, and the
children always loved it, travelling in a simple
carriage with four horses ; while old M. de Belleval
looked upon it as the day of his year. Madame de
Lamballe was at Versailles again for Christmas, for
she presented the Comtesse de Fancigny on the 24th
December, but no further mention is made of her till
the following July, 1787.

Politically, meanwhile, things were rapidly going
from bad to worse. The treasury was empty, the

THE CONVENTION OF THE NOTABLES 157

people becoming mutinous, and all calling for an
Assembly of the States General; an expedient to
which resort had not been made for over a hundred
years, and which, in the then state of the nation, the
King and his Ministers profoundly dreaded. To
avoid it, they decided instead to call a Convention of
the Notables, men of high rank or distinction from all
parts of the kingdom, to discuss what measures would
be wisest under the circumstances to pursue ; and
the Notables accordingly met on the 22 nd February
1787, at Versailles. Their number in all was 144,
and there were seven bureaux, presided over by
Princes of the Blood, amongst whom the Due de
Penthievre was one ; but although a large and
fashionable audience assembled to listen to the
debates, Madame de Lamballe's name is continually
absent. It is said that the Due spoke seriously to
the King and Queen at this time concerning the
enormous deficit under consideration, and recom-
mended the most drastic economies in their way
of living, even that they should limit themselves to
wearing clothes of serge and cloth ; but it is hardly
in keeping with his character that he should have
been so impertinent. Nevertheless, great reforms
were made at court, sinecures put down, and un-
necessary expenses reduced ; but the only result was
to enrage the courtiers and not to satisfy the people.
The Polignacs were particularly loud in discontent,
and many more powerful nobles joined the Orleans

158 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

faction. The Notables proved of no use, decided
nothing, and were finally dissolved in May, leaving
all questions of difficulty no more settled than before.

Still being very unwell, the Princesse de Lamballe
was advised to try a change of climate in England
this summer, and accordingly prepared to start for
Brighton early in July. She passed a few days in
Paris on her way, and on the morning of the day she
was to leave France, Marie Antoinette arrived at
nine o'clock at the Hotel de Toulouse to bid her
farewell. This unconventional visit, and the imme-
diate departure of the Princesse directly after, gave
rise to all sorts of rumours concerning the errand
on which it was quite understood the Queen had
despatched her friend. The favourite idea seems
that the Princesse was to treat with the exiled
Minister Calonne, to beg him to omit certain in-
cidents from the memoirs he was about to publish ; but
since M. de Calonne was in Holland, and Madame de
Lamballe never went anywhere near him, this fabric
had little to support it. Curiously enough, Madame
de Polignac was also in England at this time, having
left France a month earlier. She was growing restive
at the Queen's constant dependence upon her and
dislike of letting her out of her sight, and ofi'ered to
resign her post sooner than her liberty ; but this the
Queen would not accept, and was therefore perforce
obliged to allow her leave of absence.

Of the Princesse de Lamballe's doings in England

THE PRINCESSE IN ENGLAND 159

we find hints in contemporary memoirs. Horace
Walpole, writing to the Earl of Strafford on the 28th
July, mentions that ' the Duke of Queensberry has
given a sumptuous dinner to the Princess de Lam-
balle ' : while in Fanny Burney's Diary for August
7th, appears the entry :

'The Prince of Wales gave some account of his
expedition to town to meet his brother. (The Duke
of York, who had been seven years absent.) He was
just preparing, at Brighton, to give a supper enter-
tainment to Madame the Princess de Lamballe, when
he perceived his courier. " I daresay," he cried, " my
brother 's come ! " set ofi" instantly to excuse himself to
the Princess, and arrived at Windsor by the time of
early prayers, at eight o'clock the next morning.'

The Princesse herself had the reprehensible habit
of never dating or placing her letters ; so it is impos-
sible to tell on what day was written the lively note
to Madame de Lage given below.

'My baths do me a great deal of good, my dear
little one. I shall leave here next Sunday for Blen-
heini, Oxford, Bath, and different country houses
which I shall see on my route. If you write to me,
address your letters to London, where I shall not be
till the 2nd or 3rd of next month. As I am moving
about a good deal, your letters might otherwise get
lost. I will let you know from London the day of
my return, and then I shall be enchanted, my darling,
to see and embrace you again. You will never

160 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

believe that I have come to Brighthelmstone to hear
Nina read by an Englishwoman. I had that satisfac-
tion this morning, and nearly died of laughter. I
never saw or heard anything so ridiculous, as you will
easily believe. She played the rdle of Nina with the
ear of Germeuil, and the poor woman gave herself so
much trouble over the declaiming of it that she was in
a bath of perspiration. Her pathos, instead of touching
one, made one laugh. This famous actress is called
Madame Obanks ; you have seen her at Paris. In
England she is that poor Madame de Mazarin who is
always in the arms of ridicule. Adieu, my darling,
I am going to bed in order to be early at the baths
in the morning. I embrace you with all my heart.
M. T. L. de Savoye.'

It is evident at least that the English baths did the
Princesse good, for she does not seem to have been so
much amused for a long time, and when next we hear
of her, in the late autumn, she was once more at Ver-
sailles, and using her influence to make peace in what
threatened to become a serious disagreement among
the royal family. The Convention of the Notables
having been of no use whatever, and the Treasury in
dire need of funds, the King, by his ministers' advice,
decided to hold, not a Bed of Justice, but a Eoyal
Sitting, which could compel the Parliament to register
his edict for raising money. Though he was quite
within his hereditary rights in doing this, there seems
to have been a strong feeling among the Parlia-

THE DUG D'ORLfiANS IN DISGRACE 161

mentary party tliat the proceeding was illegal, and
the Due d'Orl^ans took it upon himself to voice the
general discontent, telling the King so to his face
at the sitting. The King replied quietly that he
had been well advised as to what he was doing, and
the proceedings continued ; but, on his Majesty's
leaving the hall shortly after, Orleans and his brother-
in-law, Bourbon, no sooner saw him into his carriage
than they rushed back to their colleagues, still
assembled, and in the course of a few minutes, pro-
posed, seconded, and passed a Eesolution disclaiming
all agreement in what had just taken place, and
strongly censuring the King's action.

It may be that Orleans really believed in the posi-
tion he took up, but from his after conduct it seems
more probable that it was a mere bid for popularity
with the class now growing formidably great, a class
which was ready frantically to applaud any dis-
obedience or impertinence to the sovereign ; at any
rate, his conduct earned him the glory of a cheap
martyrdom. Louis xvi. was naturally very angry
when he heard what had happened, and at six o'clock
in the evening of the 20 th November, M. de Breteuil
appeared before the Due d' Orleans with a letter from
the King commanding him to retire at once to his
estate at Villers-Cotterets, and remain there, seeing
none of his relatives, till further orders. The Due
was furiously angry — without much reason, for he
really could not have expected his behaviour to pass

L

162 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

unnoticed — and on Breteuil, who had been com-
manded not to lose sight of him, turning towards the
carriage already in waiting, Orleans pushed him
rudely aside, saying, 'You shall at least get in
after me.'

So powerful was the Orleans faction by now that
the banishment of the Due caused quite a commotion
in Paris. The Parliament espoused his cause warmly,
and petitioned the King for his release, but Louis was
inexorable. The Duchesse d'Orl^ans and the Prin-
cesse de Lamballe implored his pardon, but even they
were coldly received for some time. At last they
obtained permission to share his exile, and hurried to
Villers-Cotterets, where they remained till the end
of January 1788 ; when the ban was removed, and
Orleans again returned to Paris. It was at this time
that the Princesse, playing at ' Saddle-my-nag' in the
garden one winter's day with her little nephew, the
Comte de Beaujolais, knocked her head against the
dry root of a tree, and received so severe a blow that
it was at first feared it would be necessary to trepan
her ; she recovered, however, far better than had been
expected, and was soon quite herself again.

Certainly the English baths had greatly improved
her health, for though taking less part than of old in
the mere court festivities, she was a good deal in
Paris this year, and the Queen's affection for her grew
warmer and deeper again as Madame de Polignac
became more rude and callous. Never was there a

THE QUEEN'S UNPOPULARITY 163

pupil in that hard school for saints, the world, who
had changed more than Marie Antoinette. Under
the chill breath of dislike and hatred the people
already began to show for her, her childish frivolity
and extravagance withered and fell, and she grew
silent, proud, and sad. The year before, the King
had been to Cherbourg to view the extension of the
harbour, and from there had written to her : ' I am
the happiest King in the world, for my people love
me as I love them ' ; but already she was well aware
that that could never be said of her. Her portrait
was refused at the Salon this year for fear of calling
forth disloyal demonstrations. Nor were her sorrows
all political ones. Her little baby, Sophie, had died
at eleven months ; her eldest boy was sickly, and it
seemed unlikely he would ever grow up ; added to
which, enemies had already poisoned his mind against
his mother. The friend for whom she had done most
in the world now plainly showed that the Queen's
own welfare and affection were nothing to her ; she
cared only for the amusement and riches such a friend-
ship brought, and when that turned to anxiety and
care, it simply bored her. The very ladies of her
Household were not all trustworthy, and it is little
wonder that, as ' on revient toujours a ses premiers
amours,' Marie Antoinette should once more throw
herself gratefully upon the heart that had never failed
her, the spirit that always soothed and comforted.
The Princesse had many godchildren, in whose wel-

164 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

fare she took a deep interest ; and one of these, the son
of a former secretary of M. de Penthifevre, bade fair
at this time to become a genius. N^pomucene Le-
mercier was not sixteen this year, when, by the kind
offices of Madame de Lamballe, the Queen was per-
suaded to command a performance of his five-act
tragedy Meleagre at the Theatre Frangais. The
piece was given on the 29 th February, and though,
as might have been expected, somewhat amateurish,
it met with a very warm reception from a not too
critical audience. The gifted author sat in Madame
de Lamballe's box, and at the close of the last act she
drew him forward, kissed him on the forehead, and
proudly presented him to the enthusiastic house. An
older friend than he, however, was also destined to
be covered with glory this spring. The Due de Pen-
thifevre and his daughter and daughter-in-law had
long desired that Florian should be admitted to the
Academic Frangaise, and three years before this, on
the Abb6 Millot's death, the ladies had warmly can-
vassed for their protege's election. Florian was still,
however, very young, and the Acad^mie nominated
the Abb^ Morellet instead. In December 1787 died
the Cardinal de Luynes, Archbishop of Sens, the same
who had married, or rather blessed the marriage of,
the Prince and Princesse de Lamballe at Nangis
twenty years before ; and on this second occasion the
Penthievre party were successful in obtaining the
nomination of their candidate. A magnificent seance
was held for Florian's reception on the 14th May.

BAPTISM OF LOUIS PHILIPPE 165

M. de Penthievre, Madame de Lamballe, the Ducliesse
d'Orl^ans and her children were all present, and
charming compliments addressed to each of these
were of course inserted in the poetic recital given by
the new Academicien. The election seems to have
been very popular and the audience most enthusiastic,
and the following day the Due de Penthievre enter-
tained all the Acade'miciens to a sumptuous fete at
Sceaux.

The Princesse was able to attend the Queen again
to her Easter Communion at Notre Dame this year,
and early in May made one of a brilliant congregation
to witness the public baptism of her two nephews, the
Dues de Chartres and de Montpensier. Chartres,
now fourteen, received the names of Louis Philippe ;
and Montpensier, two years younger, of Antoine
Philippe. The Bishop of Melun, Grand Almoner of
France, performed the service ; and the proceedings were
honoured by the presence of little Madame Eoyale,
Monsieur and Madame, the Comte d'Artois, Madame
Elizabeth, the Due d'Angouleme, the Princes de Conde
and de Conti, and the Dues de Bourbon, d'Enghien,
and de Berri, besides M. de Penthievre, Madame de
Lamballe, and the Due and Duchesse d'Orleans. After
June, when the Duchesse d'Orleans' governess, old
Madame de Saluces, a great friend to all the family,
died at the Hotel de Toulouse, the Princesse retired
again to the country, sometimes travelling and paying
visits by herself, and sometimes accompanying the
Due on his regular annual tour of inspection round

166 THE PKINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

all his vast estates, to which, on the death of the Due
de Choiseul, Amboise, Chanteloup, and Montrichard
had been added in lieu of certain debts the late
minister had owed him. Some reason for the Prin-
cesse's absence from Paris this summer has been
found in. the fact that during August the charming
fifteen-year-old Mdlle. Charlotte de la Chassaine was
announced to make her dehut as Sophie in the
Bienfait Anonyms. This young lady was the
daughter of that Mdlle. de la Chassaine who had been
one of the half-dozen charmers for whom the Prince
de Lamballe forsook his young wife in the first year
of their marriage ; and, some added, she was the
Prince's daughter too, but unless she had greatly
understated her age this was not possible, since M. de
Lamballe had been dead for nineteen years. It is
scarcely likely, however, that this incident alone
would have driven the Princesse from Paris, which
it was always her custom to leave as soon as the
weather grew too warm ; and this autumn she and
Madame de Lage took a delightful incognito tour
through the west of France.

Their last stay was made with a dear friend of the
Princesse, the Abbess Madame de Pardadlon d'Antin,
at Fontevrault, and here both hostess and guest were
as nearly as possible poisoned one night by partaking
of a rago'ilt which had been allowed to cool in a
copper vessel. Fortunately the faithful Dr. Saifiert
was at hand, and able to apply the proper remedies,
so that both happily recovered ; and the Princesse

TOURS IS LOYAL STILL 167

immediately after had silver dishes made for use in
her kitchen to avoid a recurrence of the unpleasant
experience. From here the travellers intended to
return straight to Versailles, where the Queen was
already longing for her friend's society ; but the
journey being a long one to accomplish in a day,
although they left at an early hour in the morning,
the Princesse gave injunctions to pass through Tours
without stopping, in order to economise time. What
follows has been very amusingly recounted by Madame
de Lage. As Tours was approached, it became
evident that the secret of their incognito was known,
and the whole city preparing a great reception for
them : at the gates they were stopped by a deputa-
tion of influential citizens, the men all in uniform, and
the ladies in their most elaborate court costumes,
adorned with diamonds, feathers, powder, patches,
and magnificently arrayed headdresses. So rare had
loyal demonstrations already become, that the Prin-
cesse could not but be touched at the enthusiasm
shown, and was unable to refuse the cordial invita-
tion brought her to dine with the Archbishop. Once
in the carriage again, with a few moments' respite,
she and Etiennette whipped out their rouge-puffs,
powder-boxes, and pocket-mirrors, and made what
hasty toilette they could ; though still, at the banquet,
says the little Comtesse, they felt dreadfully dowdy
and undressed in their simple muslin frocks and
straw hats !

168 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

CHAPTEE XIII

1789-90

M. DE Penthievre again became ill during the
winter, and the Princesse spent most of her time
with him. Early in January he wrote to the King
excusing himself for not personally offering his good
wishes on the New Year, but explaining that he had
suffered much of late from giddy fits, and now
carried a blister on his left arm. Madame de
Lamballe was with the Queen, however, as usual, for
Easter, and on the 17th April made one of the
brilliant company assembled to witness the presenta-
tion and public baptism of the Due and Duchesse
d'Orl^ans' only daughter, Eugenie Adelaide Louise,
now twelve years old. Cardinal Montmorency,
Grand Almoner of France, ofiiciated, and the young
lady was theoretically ' held at the font ' by their
Majesties, Monsieur, the Comte d'Artois, Madame
Elizabeth, the Dues d'Angouleme, de Berri, and
d'Enghien, the Princesse de Lamballe, the Duchesse
de Bourbon, and her own parents and elder
brothers.

VISIT TO A REVOLUTIONARY CLUB 169

Although court life appeared to go on much the
same as usual, Paris was growing more and more
disturbed, and the people more and more difficult to
control. The air was full of new ideas, and all of
them tended to rebellion. So hardly had the nation
for centuries been kept under, that the bursting of
the first trammels became the signal for a general
lawlessness. The people had tasted of liberty, and
must be drunk with it before they were satisfied.
The city was full of revolutionary clubs, scarcely
pretending now to secrecy, where the wUdest senti-
ments were talked and applauded. At the Queen's
wish, the Princesse de Lamballe and Madame de
Lage penetrated privately to one of these which
met at the Petits Carmes one day, to find out what
really took place there. They went on foot ;
Prince George of Hesse, who had a box there,
having lent it to them for the occasion, that they
might hide behind the curtains and hear without
being seen : but it was a dangerous adventure, and
both were thoroughly frightened before they could
get away. They remained three hours, saw many
nobles insulted, and ' the uproar,' says Madame de
Lage, ' was infernal.'

In the first week of May, the long-called-for States
General were at last assembled, and great cere-
monies graced their opening. The Princesse de
Lamballe, now proved ' not a favourite, but a
friend,' received the Queen in state at Notre Dame of

170 THE PKINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

Versailles, the hymn ' Veni Creator ' was sung, and
the procession formed for St. Louis, where a further
service was held. Next day the Queen and court
were present at the first sitting of the States ; Marie
Antoinette looking most beautiful, says an eye-
witness, but most sad. The King's appearance called
for some cheers, her own for dead silence ; but sharp
and loud behind her came the rolls of applause for
Orleans. The Qufcen's iron resolution almost failed
her ; the contrast was too cruel, and for an instant
she felt faint; but in a moment the Princesse was
beside her with a whispered word of courage, and
again she commanded herself, and passed on.

Marie Antoinette had indeed good cause for sad-
ness. Her eldest son, now nine years old, always
sickly and deformed, and of late exhibiting a violent
dislike to his mother, was sinking rapidly ; it was not
possible that he could long survive. Madame de
Lage tells how she and the Princesse went to Meudon,
where he lay ill, about this time to visit him. It
gave them quite a shock when they entered, to find
him lying prone upon a billiard-table, where he had
requested to be put, while a history book was being
read aloud to him. ' The same thought struck us
both,' she says : ' he looked just like a corpse. The
Princesse asked what he was reading.

'"I am reading a very interesting portion of our
history," he answered ; " the reign of Charles vii."

' I ventured to inquire if his Royal Highness was

DEATH OF THE DAUPHIN 171

reading in chronological order, or if he only chose
striking episodes here and there.

' " I am reading it straight through," he replied.
"I have not sufficient knowledge to be able to
choose, and I am interested in the whole." His
beautiful fading eyes looked into mine as though
they were speaking, and then, turning to the Duo
de Harcourt, he whispered that he should have been
informed of the coming of the Princesse. " She is
the lady who was so interested in my globe," he
added.'

The Princesse seems always to have attached
children to her by her interest in their amusements :
and the little Prince sent for the globe again, and
made a valet turn it round to show to Madame de
Lage. But very shortly after this visit, on the 4th
June, the poor child died at Meudon ; and the two
ladies visited the castle again, to throw holy water
upon the little white and silver coffin, which, sur-
rounded by brilliant candles and praying monks, and
surmounted with the Dauphin's glittering crown,
sword, and orders, represented the last royal Ipfig in
state in France for many years. ' How happy,'
cried the Queen to her friend in her first distress,
' you are to have never been a mother ! ' Yet sad
though this poor boy's death seemed, it was inex-
pressibly happier than the fate reserved for every
other member of his family. The little Due de
Normandie, aged three, was immediately proclaimed

172 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

Dauphin, and the court went into mourning for the
space of two months.

Fresh plots and calumnies grew up about the
royal family every day. Anxious still to reconcile
the King and Orleans, the Princesse at last induced
the Queen to receive an emissary of the Due's at
Marly. This man, a banker, Pinel by name, left the
Palais Royal on his errand with a satchel full of im-
portant papers : but he never reached the Queen,
and his murdered body was discovered next day in
the forest of Vesinet with the empty portfolio beside
it. The mystery was never cleared up, and it need
hardly be said that the version which reached the
public reflected cruelly upon the Queen and her
friend.

Sorrow and anxiety, however, were not yet so all-
absorbing at court, but that there were many oppor-
tunities for friendly and pleasant little actions such
as the Princesse loved to render. Shortly before
leaving town for the summer, she rearranged her
rooms at the Hotel de Toulouse, and portioned off a
fresh suite for her favourite lady, Madame de Lage.
The Comtesse was away on a visit when the move
was made, and on her return was delighted to find
that her very dearest friend, Madame de Polastron,
had come into Paris for the day on purpose to see
her. They hoped to spend the evening together,
and Etiennette was more than a little vexed when a
message came from the Princesse, desiring her to sup

A SURPRISE PARTY 173

tete-a-tete with herself, and afterwards to accompany
her to the theatre. She thought that on her very-
first evening, and with her special friend on the spot,
she might have been excused from social duties : but
all the other ladies it appeared were ill or absent, and
it was absolutely necessary that she should go.
Louise de Polastron condoled with her, promising to
come again early next morning for another chat,
and Etiennette ordered a chicken to be roasted for
herself when she came in, and set off not in the very
best of graces. On returning from the theatre, tired
and bored, she conducted the Princesse to her room,
bade her good-night, and hurried towards her own
apartments, intending, after a mouthful of chicken,
to slip into bed and be asleep by eleven o'clock. In
the passage, however, a servant came up to ask a
question, and detained her a moment or two, so that
when she reached her room and opened the door,
she stood amazed at the brilliant sight before her.
The rooms were full of gay lights, beautiful flowers,
magnificent presents, china, pictures, etc., and in
the centre a lovely portrait of Madame de Polastron,
a gift from the Princesse. The whole evening had
been a ruse to get her out of the way while Louise de
Polastron was left to arrange everything : and now,
while the servant had kept her in the passage, the
Princesse herself had slipped through Madame de
Ginestous' rooms, and was here to welcome her with
smiles and embraces, surrounded by a gay assembly

174 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

of all the young Comtesse's special friends. She was
very happy, and very remorseful for her ill temper,
and after half an hour spent in examining all the
wonderful and beautiful surprises prepared for her,
somebody remarked that it was time for supper,
^fitiennette, with agonised recollection of that solitary
roast chicken, wondered how she was going to enter-
tain them all, but almost immediately her fears were
set at rest, for the doors of the dining-room were
thrown open, and a delicious repast displayed, all
served ^on a beautiful service of white and gold
Sevres china. ' I thought,' explained the Princesse,
' my child would let me bring my supper to her
rooms. I had intended asking you all to sup with
me after seeing everything here, but I thought after
all it would be nicer to stay in this pretty room.'
After supper, the merry party played quinze till a
late hour ; and next morning Madame de Lfi,ge was
informed that the Sevres service was all hers, and
that several extra pieces belonging to it had been
sent since.

During the summer, the Princesse and her
favourite lady travelled in Switzerland, where they
had hoped M. de Penthifevre would join them, as he
was still far from well, and his doctor even wished to
send him to Italy : but he does not seem to have been
able to make up his mind to leave home, and he re-
mained at one or another of his own castles all the
summer. On the 14th July the first decisive blow

FLIGHT OF THE POLIGNACS 175

against the monarchy was struck by the people of
France in the storming and destruction of the
Bastille. The court, hitherto blind to its danger,
was now, the temper of the people proved, in a frenzy
of alarm : and many important persons hastened to
remove themselves from Paris, and even to cross the
borders of France. The Comte d'Artois left hastily
for Turin, and a week or so later, his wife followed
him with a suite of thirty persons : it was given out
that they should return in the spring, but since the
Comtesse took care to sell all her household goods
before starting, and the Comte left many debts
behind him, nobody put much faith in this story. It
was, in fact, twenty-five years before Artois entered
France again. Soon after their departure, the Due
d'Enghien, the Due de Bourbon, the Prince de
Conde, the Prince de Conti, the Due de Vauguyon,
the Abb6 Vermond, the Baron de Breteuil, and many
others, also emigrated in haste. Necker said after-
wards that in the course of one fortnight, passports
had been signed for six thousand of the richest
inhabitants of France.

The Duchesse de Polignac had often before ofi"ered
to resign, and the Queen had refused to listen to her :
but now Marie Antoinette herself, recognising the
hatred the mob had for her favourite, urged her
immediate flight. The parting was one of many
tears, for though of late disappointed in her friend,
the Queen had loved her very dearly, and fourteen

176 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

years' constant companionship cannot be broken
without a pang. By the assistance of Count Fersen,
with great secrecy and great fear, the powerful
Polignacs crept from France during the night, the
Duchesse disguised as a lady's maid on the coach-
box ; and after many agonised adventures they
reached Eome in safety, where the Pope had the
bells rung and Ave Marias said for the protection of
France. 'Farewell, my dearest, tenderest friend,'
wrote Marie Antoinette the very night the Duchesse
left : ' how terrible is that word farewell ! I am
powerless even to embrace you.' She had given her
a purse of five hundred louis on her departure, and
continued to write constantly to her, sometimes
twice in a day ; often saying, ' How happy I feel to
know that you are safe ! ' until at last the danger
grew too great : she admitted, ' We are watched like
criminals ! ' and so the correspondence ceases. The
Marquise de Tourzel was appointed Governess to
the royal children in the place of Madame de
Polignac, and took the oath of fidelity on the 2nd
August 1789.

In striking contrast to the pale-hearted conduct of
the younger Princes of the Blood, stands out the action
of the Due de Penthifevre, who, old and ailing though
he was, journeyed up from the country during August
for a few days, entirely to wait upon the King and
Queen at Versailles, and assure them of his unswerv-
ing loyalty and devotion. They were both deeply

EMIGRATION OF THE NOBLES 177

touched ; and it tells much for the affection and
respect with which this aged Prince was regarded by-
all classes, that whilst at the Hotel de Toulouse, a
detachment of the newly enrolled National Guards
presented themselves before him and requested the
honour of a review. He also contrived to get across
to see his daughter one evening at the Palais Royal,
avoiding the gardens of the palace, which were the
stronghold of all the wild and disaffected spirits in
Paris. This was indeed a sad situation for the un-
fortunate Duchesse, and there was at this time much
to trouble both her and her father on her behalf.

Away in Switzerland, the Princesse de Lamballe
does not seem to have fully realised the whole weight
of the blow which the fall of the Bastille meant to
the royalty of France, for on her return on the 2nd
September, instead of joining the Queen, she went
straight to her father-in-law at Aumale, and almost
immediately accompanied him to Eu. Probably she
did not like to leave him till his own daughter could
take her place, and it is certain that during all this
time she was receiving constant and affectionate
letters from the Queen, begging her to remain with
the old Due while he needed her, to care for her own
health, and not to think of returning to Paris. ' We
are fairly quiet here for the present : the bourgeoisie
and the good people are well disposed towards us,'
wrote poor Marie Antoinette on the very morning of
disaster. In spite of this reassurance, however, the

M

178 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

Princesse seems to have felt very depressed and
worried, torn in two directions by divided duties;
and at last, at nine o'clock on the evening of the
7th October, a courier galloped up to the castle
with a letter that decided her upon immediate
action. It was from the Queen, and told of the
terrible events of the preceding two days at Ver-
sailles ; of the march of the hungry people from
Paris ; and of the attempt made to murder her
Majesty in her bed early on the morning of the
6th, an attempt only frustrated by her flying in her
nightdress through a secret passage to the King's
apartments, while the rufl&ans were already battering
in her door and murdering her gallant sentinel. The
following morning Lafayette, the commander of the
National Guard, who, with Bailly, was usually known
as the ' Rainbow,' because they invariably arrived
after the storm, had persuaded the King to start with
his family for Paris and the Tuileries, as the only
way to appease the mob ; and the whole time of this
wretched journey, lasting six hours to cover twelve
miles, shrieking crowds surrounded the great rocking
carriage, waving on pikes the mangled heads of the
sentinels, terrifying the little Dauphin, and scream-
ing aloud, ' Now we shall have bread enough ! We
have got the Baker, the Baker's wife, and the Baker's
little boy ! '

Fortaire, the faithful valet of the Due de Pen-
thifevre, has left us some account of the manner in

BAD NEWS 179

which the Princesse received this alarming news. For
a moment she sat motionless. She knew that bed-
room at Versailles well : often had she carried in the
Queen's breakfast-tray herself, says Madame Campan,
and sat by the bedside chatting with her friend while
Marie Antoinette sipped her morning chocolate.
Those happy, careless days were all past now, and
she had not been with her friend when the moment
of danger arrived. She sprang to her feet with a
cry of ' 0, my papa ! What a terrible event ! I must
set out at once.'

So soon as he learned what had occurred, the Due
only regretted that his age and infirmities would not
permit him to accompany her at once, but promised
to follow the next day, breaking his journey at
Aumale. A carriage was immediately ordered, and
though the weather was wild and stormy, the Prin-
cesse set off at midnight, accompanied by one lady and
M. de Chambonas, a gentleman in attendance on the
Due. They travelled without stopping, and reached
Paris very late the following evening, to find the
whole city brilliant with illuminations, and offering a
sad contrast to the gloomy state of things they found
prevailing at the Palace. The Tuileries had not been
occupied by royalty for over a hundred years ; the
few state pensioners who held rooms there had had to
be turned out in a hurry and compensation made
them ; there was no proper furniture or appoint-
ments ; names were chalked on doors ; the royal

180 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

family had to put up with all sorts of makeshifts,
and everything was wretchedly uncomfortable. But
the Queen threw herself with tears into her friend's
arms, and for the moment felt her worst troubles at
an end.

In the course of the next few days, some order was
created out of the confusion ; furniture sent from
Versailles, necessary repairs and alterations set in
hand, pale shadows of ancient court etiquette again
reincarnated. Such of the nobles as remained staunch
hurried to the side of the King and Queen : M. de
Penthievre arrived in Paris the day after his daughter-
in-law, and stayed a week at the Hotel de Toulouse,
visiting the Tuileries every day : the King held his
levees and couchers as usual, the Queen her Sunday
and Tuesday card-parties. Twice a week too, on
Sundays and Thursdays, she held a court before
attending Mass, and dined in public with the King
afterwards : and more punctiliousness than ever was
shown in the weekly reception of the Corps Diplo-
matique and the constant official deputations sent to
wait upon the royal family. A hateful innovation
was made in the appointment of six hundred National
Guards to various posts inside the Palace, while the
faithful Swiss Guards were kept without, but this had
to be endured : the King was supposed to be ' grateful
to his faithful people who had rescued him from bad
advisers ' ; and so the wretched fiction was kept up.

At every appearance, public or private, of the

LIFE AT THE TUILERIES 181

Queen, the Princesse de Lamballe was ever at her
side ; and she, of whom complaints had formerly been
made that she found it too much trouble to entertain,
entertained now widely and lavishly. She hoped by
this means to rally all faithful nobles once more about
the court, but only few of them came. The Queen
attended some of her parties, not so much for the
distraction, as to keep in touch with those who were
still loyal ; but so-called pleasure was wretchedness
to her now, and an incident that occurred one even-
ing threw her into such agitation that she could not
bring herself to go again. So few of the old noblesse
remained in France that Madame de Lamballe was
obliged to invite strangers in order to fill her rooms,
and on this occasion, an English gentleman was pre-
sent, who showed a ring, containing, he said, a lock of
Oliver Cromwell's hair. The name of Cromwell the
regicide was abhorrent to Marie Antoinette, and she
left the salon in haste ; and after this, except for
necessary official appearances, kept entirely to her
own family and friends for society. M. and Madame
de Provence were still at the Luxembourg, and came
over frequently for the evenings : Madame Elizabeth
and Madame de Lamballe were always ready to play
backgammon with her ; she found she could not
settle to read, but did much needlework, and amused
and interested herself in teaching her daughter and
another little girl, Ernestine Lambriquet, an orphan,
whose mother had been in the service of Madame

182 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

Koyale. The King, poor man, saw the fine weather
pass without any hunting, and recorded the fact
gloomily in his journal. It was impossible now to
walk in the Palace gardens, as the public was
admitted, and the crowds were great and most dis-
agreeable ; nor yet could the Queen visit the theatres,
the mob being so violent and excitable. The Duchesse
de Biron, who was there in her box one evening,
was struck on the cheek by a pear. She sent it to
Lafayette next morning, remarking, 'Allow me to
present you with the first fruits of the Eevolution.'

The Princesse de Lamballe and Madame Elizabeth
were given the Pavilion de Flore in the TuUeries
garden for their use, and the apartments in this they
shared ; except for flying visits to her villa at Passy,
or to M. de Penthievre at Chateauneuf-sur-Loire,
the former remaining here the entire winter. During
one of these brief absences, the Queen wrote to her : —

' November 7, 1789.
' You will not take care of yourself, and I am quite
worried about you. Listen to me, my dear Lamballe,
I shall be really angry with you. My health is fairly
good, and my children's excellent. . . . My daughter
longs to see you again. . . . The Dauphin has asked
for you many times to help him with his garden ;
he tells me in his baby language that he wants to
give you breakfast with Mama Queen. . . .'

The chief troubles of France seem to have arisen

'PLUT6T MOURIR que CHANGER' 183

from her empty treasury, and during this autumn the
strongest efforts were made to reduce the deficit.
Patriotic gifts of money, plate, and jewels arrived at
the Bank every day from various wealthy nobles,
amongst whom M. de Penthievre was one of the first
to sacrifice a large share of his possessions ; on the
3rd October valuables to the worth of 1848 marks
were received from him. A very human letter from
Madame de Lamballe to her treasurer, M. Toscan, on
this subject is extant, written on the 25th September,
and sealed with her red seal and the characteristic
words, ' Plutdt Mourir Que Changer.' In it she bids
Toscan find out what her brother-in-law the Due
d'Orl^ans has already given, remarking that she is
on the whole a poor woman and wishes to show it ;
there has been enough cant about nobility, and she
does not intend to give up everything ; nevertheless,
she will order a service of English pottery in Paris
and renounce her own best ware. A week later, she
wrote again, evidently somewhat worried, asking for
an exact account of her household expenses, since she
has decided, ' unfortunately for her people,' to reduce
her expenditure, and let the house at Passy, furnished.
She has sufficient liveries for her servants for the
present, and when those wear out, other arrange-
ments will have to be made ; things will be very
difierent in the future. Toscan, however, is to keep
her ideas to himself, as she does not wish all the
world to hear of her economies ; and meanwhile the

184 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

pension of ten louis for her old nurse at Turin is
never to be forgotten, but she has written to her
sister about that. Early in November, valuables to
the amount of 625 marks were received from her at
the Monnaie.

Relations between the King and Orleans became
more and more strained, and the Due would at this
time have again been banished but for his popularity
with the people, which made such a step dangerous ;
and also perhaps for the entreaties of his wife and
Madame de Lamballe. Both these ladies were, how-
ever, growing slowly disillusioned in the once gay
and gallant Chartres, now the debauched and shifty
Orleans ; and it was probably with sighs of gratitude
that his relatives learned that the King had intrusted
him with a diplomatic mission to England which would
probably keep him absent for some months. He him-
self was a great friend of the Prince Eegent, and
could have gone to no place to suit him better.

The year 1790 dawned gloomily for France. The
Queen's brother, the Emperor Joseph, died at Vienna,
on February 27 th, and was succeeded by his brother
Leopold ; but in spite of the Austrian leanings with
which the people charged their Queen, her native
land had plainly showed itself no support to her
in trouble ; and this change of rulers made no
political difference. The Due de Penthievre was very
ill of asthma at Amboise early in February, and
Madame de Lamballe hurried to nurse him, receiving

'YOUR SWEET FRIENDSHIP' 185

many tender letters from the Queen during her tem-
porary absence, of which the following is an example : —

' March 4.
' My dear Heart, — Present circumstances occupy
my soul too much not to be very sensible of your
letter and your sweet friendship : your heart is one
that never changes, and that misfortune only makes
more affectionate. . . . You know all that passes here.
It is impossible to go out without being insulted a
dozen times an hour ; I walk no more, and stay in
my room all day.'

186 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

CHAPTER XIV

1790-1

Living very quietly, and endeavouring by every
means to satisfy and appease tlie people, the King
and Queen were subjected to no more violent attacks
this year. Occasionally, spasmodic outbursts of
loyalty were shown, but these guided so little by
reason and so greatly by caprice as to be rather less
than more reassuring : the unhappy royal family
was entirely in the hands of the people, and for the
present the many-headed stood content. Already,
Marie Antoinette cherished frantic longings to escape,
to see her children at least in safety ; but Louis,
whose judgment seems to have become stupefied with
trouble, could not be got to decide upon any plan of
action, whether to stay or go, and his wife was in
despair at this fatal lethargy. Through all it was
necessary to feign entire happiness and confidence
in their surroundings, and sometimes the Queen's
patience was strained to breaking-point.

Now that the Duchesse de Polignac was gone, all
the pent-up hatred of the people at the Queen's friends
could vent itself only upon the one who faithfully

SPIES AND TRAITORS 187

held that title through danger and dismay. The
vilest libels concerning the Queen and her court were
openly published and circulated in Paris, and from
these it was too much to hope that Madame de Lam-
balle's name would be absent : in one of the worst,
the Gallerie des Dames Franqaises, printed in
London, and said to have been written by the
Marquis de Luchet, the Princesse was slanderously
described under the title of Balzais. One of her
ladies saw her reading the volume, but she laid it
down afterwards without comment : she was prepared
to suffer more than that in friendship's cause.

The title of Superintendent of the Household, a
mere honour with no duties for sixteen years, was
now accepted by the Princesse in its widest and
most personal sense : she herself undertook all the
household arrangements of the Tuileries, and found
it a very onerous and responsible task. So sur-
rounded was the Queen by spies and traitors that it
became necessary to suspect even her most faithful
servants until they were proved innocent ; and the
watching of them was a most distasteful, if obvious,
duty. Madame Campan has told us how, two
years later, just before the fatal 10th August, the
Princesse sent for her early one morning. ' I found
her seated on a sofa facing the window that opened
on the Pont Eoyal, in her room in the Pavilion de
Flore, level with the Queen's. She told me to sit
down. She held a writing-desk on her knees, and said,

188 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

"You have had many enemies who have endeavoured
to deprive you of the Queen's favour, but without
success. I myself, not knowing you so well as the
Queen, on the arrival of the court at the Tuileries,
had spies set outside your door, since I had heard
that several of the most virulent deputies of the Tiers
j^tat were constantly received by you ; but it was in
fact that wardrobe woman above you. The Queen
knows and loves you, and the "King also." The
Princesse then showed me a list of the names of all
those employed about the Queen's chamber, and
asked me for information concerning them. Fortu-
nately, I had only favourable information to give,
and she wrote down everything I told her.'

It had always been the custom of the royal
family to spend a few weeks at St. Cloud in June,
and rather to their surprise, no objection was made
to their doing so this year. Very thankful they
must have been to leave the hot and stuflfy atmo-
sphere of Paris and the many inconveniences of the
Tuileries for this blessed respite of cool shade and
leafy spaces, to many of them the last holiday of any
sort life held in store. The Princesse de Lamballe
was, of course, in attendance, and whispers and
rumours of escape constantly kept the court in a
flutter of anxiety. If any such plans were really
laid, however, they were made known to very few,
and apparently abandoned in consequence of insuper-
able difficulties. The National Guard had followed

FETE OF THE FEDERATION 189

the family to St. Cloud, and watched them as rigor-
ously as ever ; nor would it have been possible for
the King and Queen to leave France while the old
aunts still remained in danger : their escape must
necessarily be contrived first.

In the middle of July the King and court were
obliged to return to Paris for a few days to witness
the newly inaugurated Fete of the Federation, at
which the Due d'Orl^ans, just returned from Eng-
land, was also present, meeting with but a cold
reception from his sovereign, and a doubtful one
from the people, who, in spite of his lavish bids for
their favour, could not but be distrustful of one so
anglicised as himself, since a friend to the English
Prince Eegent, they felt, could scarcely be a true
friend to France.

This Fete of the Federation, perforce accepted
with smiles and apparent pleasure, must in fact have
been very galling to the royal family. It was held
to commemorate the anniversary of the Fall of the
Bastille, and took place on the Champ de Mars : for
days beforehand all classes had been busily employed
in digging up the turf to form the huge amphitheatre
in which 400,000 spectators were to be seated to
witness the ceremony. When the day came, it poured
with rain, but this in no way damped the ardour and
excitement of the people. The object of the Fete
was to take the oath of faithfulness to the nation,
and deputies were sent up from every province to

190 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

join the immense mass of Federates in Paris ; as they
marched through the dripping streets, the people
shouted blessings upon them, and more practically,
let down wine, ham, fruit, and sausages from the
windows for their benefit. It took three hours to
assemble all the Federates upon the ground : the
King and the President of the Assembly were then
seated upon exactly similar seats side by side, a
raised stand having been provided for the Queen and
her ladies ; and in the centre of the field rose the
gigantic erection named ' the Altar of the Country ' :
on the steps of which stood three hundred priests in
white surplices and tricolour scarves, who were to assist
the Bishop of Autun to celebrate the Mass. Divine
service over, the King rose first, and stretching
his hand out to the 'Altar,' took the prescribed
oath in a loud voice, amid the cheers of the assembled
crowd. ' I, King of the French,' the formula ran :
' swear to employ the power delegated to me by the
Constitutional Act of the State in maintaining the
constitution decreed by the National Assembly and
accepted by me.' No sooner had he pronounced
these words than the Queen sprang to her feet, and
lifting the Dauphin in her arms, exclaimed, 'Here
is my son ! he joins as well as myself in those
sentiments ! ' and amidst the almost hysteric cheers
her unexpected words called forth, the sun broke
suddenly through the heavy rain-clouds, and all France
seemed to rejoice. In the evening, Paris was en fete;

LETTERS FROM KING AND QUEEN 191

a dancing-floor was laid over the site of the destroyed
Bastille ; every house was illuminated, and it seemed
as if the millennium had arrived. Shortly after,
the court returned for the remainder of its inter-
rupted visit to St. Cloud.

Bad news concerning the health of the Due de
Penthievre again called Madame de Lamballe to his
side early in August, and she remained with him for
over two months, during which time she heard con-
stantly and in the most affectionate terms from the
King and Queen.

'September 7.

' I beg you, Madame, my dear cousin, to give us
some news of the good M. de Penthievre. It is
true that what you say about his state is not alarm-
ing, but it pains me much, for I have a very deep
affection for him, as I have for you. — Louis.'

' The King was just starting out shooting, my dear
Lamballe, and was unable to write more to you, so
he has begged me to finish this letter. Do not
return, my dear heart, I have already begged you,
and I beg you again. The health of M. de Pen-
thievre needs all your care, and I am much grieved
at it ; and you do not take enough care of yourself.
I shall be very seriously displeased if you will not
listen to any of my recommendations. Has friend-
ship then no claim upon you ? No, I do not wish
you to return ; for your heart would be too afflicted
and you would weep too sorely over your unfortunate

192 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

friend. I know that you love me ; that is sufficient.
I have much need of it. You know all that passes ;
and I will say nothing to you about it. I will speak
only of my love for you and for M. de Penthievre,
and of the health of both, for which indeed you must
answer to my friendship. Adieu ! I embrace you.

Maeie Antoinette.'

In October, the Due, being somewhat recovered,
went to pay a visit to his cousin, Madame de Par-
daillon, at Fontevrault ; and the Princesse seized the
opportunity for a few days with her old friend the
Marquis de Clermont-Gallerande, one whose advice
she frequently asked and took, and whom she after-
wards named one of the executors to her will. Ee-
turning from here through Tours to rejoin her father-
in-law at Amboise, she followed almost on the good
Due's steps, and seems to have set down to his
popularity the enthusiastic reception she again met
with in this loyal city. Fortaire declares that on
reaching Amboise she threw herself into the arms
of M. de Penthievre, exclaiming, ' my dear papa !
what a delightful and flattering reception your
journey through Tours just before me has procured
for me ! It is a great joy for me to feel that I
belong to you, and to see the love that every one has
for you. How kind they are at Tours, and what a
charming language they speak — it was of nothing but
you, my dear papa ! ' From Amboise they went to

SEPARATION OF THE DUG AND DUCHESSE 193

Ch&teauneuf for a time, and then to Paris, arriving
on the 28tli November. M. de Penthifevre only re-
mained a week in Paris, which never suited him,
and then returned to his castle at Eu : this was the
last time he ever saw the King and Queen. A very
unhappy family affair was troubling both him and the
Princesse at this period — the matrimonial disputes of
the Due and Duchesse d'Orl^ans.

The daughter of the Due de Penthifevre had borne
much and for long from the man whom in her
impulsive youth she had so wilfully married, but
there was a point beyond which endurance could not
go. That she belonged to the most loyal house in
France, while her husband led the van of rebellion,
was outward reason enough for disagreement ; added
to which, her dowry, paid through him, had almost
ceased to reach her, and she declared openly that
unless she could receive her own money regularly
every month she would be ruined. But a more
intimate though equally well-known cause goaded
her really at last to demand a legal separation — his
gross unfaithfulness and immorality. Her children
(and she was the most tender of mothers) had been
taken from her and given into the sole charge of his
acknowledged mistress, Madame de Genlis ; he and
this woman had poisoned their minds against their
own mother till they clung to the ' Governess ' in
defiance of her love ; her own daughter was educated
on equal terms with their child Pamela ; her son,

N

194 THE PRINOESSE DE LAMBALLE

a youth of past seventeen, who should have been
surrounded with men, or at least have travelled with
a tutor, still remained entirely with the Genlis and
derived his education from her. It has been declared
that in the innocence of her heart, Madame d'Orl^ans
had been ignorant till now of the relations between
her husband and this woman, and that the Princesse
de Lamballe first guessed and warned her how
matters stood, thus earning for herself the undying
rancour of her brother-in-law ; but it can hardly be
supposed in such an age that such an open scandal
had not been long patent to all most concerned by it.
Madame de Genlis, as we know, had always hated
Madame de Lamballe, and no doubt put it into the
fuddled head of Orleans that this woman, whose life
had been filled with services and kindnesses to him
and his house, had turned his wife and father-in-law
against him from pure malice, inducing them to
institute legal proceedings in order to deprive him of
the handsome income his marriage had brought him.
More probably still, through all his seeming friendli-
ness, whUe glad at all times to make use of the
Princesse's intercessions when out of favour at
court, he had never forgotten his part in the death
of her young husband twenty years before, and
always suspected the revenge she never showed.
Fear is the cruellest passion in the world, more
cruel even than jealousy, and from the moment
it was whispered him that Madame de Lamballe had

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GLOOMY DAYS 195

done him one ill turn and might do him another, her
doom, so far as he was concerned in it, was sealed.

The Princesse's sympathies in this affair were
necessarily entirely with her sister-in-law ; she had
suffered too much herself from infidelity to feel other-
wise. The Duchesse got her provisional ' Separation
of Groods ' early in February 1791, though much of the
legal business connected with the matter lingered on
for two years more, till most of the principal persons
concerned were dead : she j oined her father, however,
at Eu on the 10th February, and never left him more
during his lifetime. This naturally left the Princesse
very much more free to devote herself to the Queen,
and she spent the winter almost entirely at the
Tuileries. Time passed slowly and sadly, the Queen
wretched, the court anxious, and everything very
gloomy. Wicked and malicious libels were still rife ;
everybody read them, and tried to keep them from the
Queen, but with no success. Emigration continued,
and fewer and fewer people attended Madame de
Lamballe's receptions, or the children's parties Madame
de Tourzel occasionally gave for her royal charges.
The Princesse was deeply hurt when her chief lady-in-
waiting, Madame de Las Cases, declared her health
made it imperative she should leave Paris and take
the waters at Aix immediately ; but though giving
her leave to go, Madame de Lamballe knew well it
was merely fears for her safety that had actuated her,
and resolved never to take her back into her house-

196 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

hold again. On the 19th February the King's two
remaining aunts (for Madame Sophie and Nun Louise
were dead) escaped in safety to Italy ; and this meant
a great step towards the possible escape of the royal
family itself. Unfortunately the National Assembly
recognised this also, and the guard upon the Palace
was redoubled ; it had at first been rumoured that
the old ladies had carried off the Dauphin with them,
but though the plan had probably been mooted,
it had been discovered to lijfimpracticable. The
Princesse de Chimay, being al«f extremely unpopular,
managed likewise to get aw y, and her post was
given to Madame d'Ossun.

During this winter the Qutln had entertained great
hopes of saving the situation' through the friendship
of the Comte de Mirabeau. Mirabeau, though born
to nobility, had been so evilly treated by his father
in his youth that he had been driven to throw in his
lot with the Revolutionaries, in whose counsels he
held immense power and influence; and on the 31st
January he had been appointed President of the
National Assembly. He was, however, always sus-
ceptible to the smiles of a beautiful woman, and
Marie Antoinette stooped to put forth all her charms
to obtain his help ; it was said that he had several
private interviews with her in the apartment of
Madame de Lamballe, whither he came disguised as
a monk in a brown habit ; but even the power he so
confidently held himself to possess over his fellow

DEATH OF MIRABEAU 197

leaders was not proof against the suspicion with
which every friend of the court was regarded. His
popularity declined, violent charges were made against
him, and all hopes either party may have reposed in
him came to a sudden close by his death on the 2nd
April, after only a few days' illness. The cry of
' Poison ' was of course raised, but no proof of foul
play was ever found ; and it is indeed doubtful if one
man, however strong and well disposed, could at this
juncture have saved the monarchy. He left one
signal record of the character of Marie Antoinette as
at this time he found it : ' She has the courage of a
man,' he said ; and again, ' She is the only man the
King has about him.'

Meanwhile, the King moped again through the
winter without any occupation, and at last became
actually ill for want of air and exercise. For a
month real anxiety prevailed concerning his health,
but on the 18th March a Te Deum was sung for his
recovery ; and shortly after, the royal family decided
to pay their usual Easter visit to St. Cloud. Carriages
were accordingly ordered to be in attendance for this
purpose after Mass on the 1 8th April, but this time
the suspicions of the people of Paris had been too
long aroused by rumours of escape, and they were
determined the prisoners — for indeed by this time
the royal family were no less — should not leave the
Tuileries. An immense and excited crowd surrounded
the palace, through which the great carriages with

198 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

difficulty made their way to the entrance ; but having
made their way, the family came out and took their
seats in them ; the expedition, however, went no
further. For two hours a fearful din and riot
rocked around them, alarm bells were rung, people
screamed and shrieked, seized the horses' reins, mal-
treated the servants, threatened the King, and for
all the frantic efforts of Lafayette, would not be con-
trolled. At last it had to be admitted there was no
hope of getting away that day ; the King, Queen,
and their children went indoors once more, and the
great carriages were sent back to the stables. There
were to be no more pleasant country visits for these
unhappy people.

From this time the Queen at least was deter-
mined upon escape ; and the young Swede, Count
Fersen, fit servant of his gallant Kicg Gustavus,
and devoted adorer of Marie Antoinette, undertook
to help her. At court no questions were asked : if
plan there was, it was best no one should know of it
till too late for the slightest indiscretion to put it in
jeopardy. Even those who were to take part had
better know nothing until the moment arrived.

FLIGHT OF THE ROYAL FAMILY 199

CHAPTEE XV

1V91

On the evening of Sunday the 20th June, at the
close of her usual card-party, the Queen turned to
the Princesse de Lamballe, and bidding her good-
night in a particularly affectionate manner, remarked
that she looked tired, and should allow herself a few
days in the country during the week. So struck was
the Princesse by her manner and words, that she
mentioned both to M. de Clermont before taking
her leave for Passy, where she was spending that
night, probably in order to attend to some business.

At nine o'clock the next morning she was awakened
by a note from the Queen, informing her that the
flight had been fixed for the evening before, after
the guests had departed ; that she hoped by now to
be well on her way to the frontier with her husband,
two children, Madame Elizabeth and Madame de
Tourzel ; and that as it was probable much excite-
ment and anger would be roused in Paris directly
the flight was discovered, she desired the Princesse
to make all haste to escape also in a different direc-
tion, and to join her as soon as possible at Brussels,

200 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

where she intended to stay with her sister, the
Archduchess Marie Christine, who was married to
the Governor of the Netherlands. Madame de Lam-
balle did not lose a moment in this emergencj'. She
immediately gave out that she had received disquiet-
ing news concerning M. de Penthievre, and must
visit him at once ; ordered her carriage, and taking
with her Madame de L§,ge, Madame de Ginestous,
and two gentlemen, set off post-haste for Aumale.
Fortaire has described how at six o'clock that
evening, the old Due and his daughter were sitting
tranquilly in their garden before the castle, when a
postchaise galloped up, and almost before it had
stopped, the Princesse de Lamballe sprang out, look-
ing pale and agitated, threw herself into the arms
of her father-in-law, drew him and the Duchesse
d'Orleans hurriedly into a room, and closed the door.
They were shut up here for some time, and when the
door was at last opened, M. de Penthievre sat at the
table, writing hurriedly, Madame d'Orleans lay weep-
ing in an armchair, and the Princesse stood with her
watch in her hand, exclaiming, ' I beg you, double the
service if possible ; we must start in a quarter of an
hour.'

Fresh horses were put in ; the Due, in his capacity
of Grand Admiral of France, wrote introductory
letters to the marine authorities at Boulogne, begging
them to render his daughter-in-law all the help in
their power ; called his controller to accompany her,

ESCAPE OF THE PRINCESSE 201

and almost immediately, with a jingle and a crash,
she was gone. Fortaire admits himself to have been
puzzled, and more so as the Due immediately gave
orders to leave for Eu the following morning, which
was done. That same day, at ten in the evening,
couriers from Dieppe brought the news of the King's
escape to the Municipal of Eu, and the Mayor and
Procureur of the Commune arrived at the castle in
official scarf and uniform, and respectfully announced
that, much against their will, it was their duty to
set a watch upon the Due and Madame d'Orleans.
' Certainly,' replied M, de Penthifevre genially : 'and
we could not be in better hands.' He himself had
been unanimously chosen by the neighbourhood,
Commander-in-chief of the Local National Guard,
so when his second in command shortly after put
in an appearance, he remarked, ' Well, I suppose
you have come to guard me.' 'Pardon me,' replied
the loyal lieutenant : ' under the circumstances, I
have come to place myself under my Commander-in-
chief.' To which the Due, much touched, replied,
' Ah, you are very good ! But all the same, I am
your prisoner.' They were not, however, guarded
for more than eighteen days, and on the 12 th July
were free again, when they immediately left Eu, and
never returned there.

Meanwhde the Princesse, on leaving, gave orders -
to drive to Eu, but so soon as her equipage was out
of sight of the ,castle, changed the direction to Abbe-

202 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

ville ; and Boulogne was reached the following after-
noon, the 22nd June. Her intention was to cross to
Dover, and then recross to Ostend, whence she could
easily join the Queen at Brussels. The letters M. de
Penthievre had given her proved of the greatest ser-
vice, and she was fortunate enough to find an English
ship just about to start. She went on board at once,
and herself spoke to the sailors, begging them to
hasten their preparations, which were so efi'ectively
accomplished that her sails were already fading on
the horizon, when a cannon announced to Boulogne
the discovery of the King's departure.

Either at Dover, or at Ostend, which she reached
on the 26th June, the Princesse received the appalling
news that the King's flight had been abortive, the
royal family recognised and stopped at Varennes,
and the whole party driven back in a hideous triumph
to the Tuileries. Never was any project entered upon
with less common-sense than this crowning fiasco of
this ill-fated royal family : Monsieur and Madame,
who had set forth separately the same night, had
arrived in safety at their destination : the King's
aunts, the Artois', the Polignacs, the Princesse her-
self, and hundreds of others, had engineered their
escapes with perfect skill : but every single thing
that should not have been done was done in connec-
tion with the flight of the King and Queen them-
selves. Marie Antoinette refused to be separated for
an hour from any member of her family, so the whole

THE FIASCO AT VARENNES 203

party must travel together, and a huge berli7ie was
built to carry them, in itself sufficient to attract
attention anywhere. Then endless delays in packing
up jewellery and efifects made a late start : the King
insisted on walking up all the hills, and the carriage
must needs wait for him : detachments of yet loyal
regiments, set to guard the approaches to certain
towns, hung about for half a day, rousing suspicion
every minute, and at last drew oflF, fearing the route
had been changed, so that when the wretched herline
at last rumbled into sight, no one in it knew the way
to turn. Night was approaching, sharp watch was
kept upon the road by which the soldiers had waited
so long, the King put his head out of the window to
ask a question, he was recognised, and all was lost.
Perhaps of all the long martyrdom she was to suffer,
that weary, noisy drive, hopeless and defeated, through
the dust and heat of another long June day back to
the Tuileries, the stuffy herline made yet more stuffy
by the addition of Potion and Barnave to its inmates,
must to Marie Antoinette have seemed the most
terrible.

This news was indeed disastrous, and the Princesse
knew not what to do next. A legend, long flourish-
ing and hard dying, would have it that she flew to
London, threw herself on her knees before Queen
Charlotte and Pitt, implored their assistance for her
friend, and was refused ; but this is absolutely un-
true. Madame de Lage was with her throughout all

204 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

her wanderings, and has kept accurate record of the
time and place of every day. It is true she reached
Dover, but she stayed there only one night. Yet so
persistent was the rumour of her diplomatic mission
in England that on the 26 th June, an announcement
appeared in the Chronique de Paris to the eflfect
that ' Madame de Lamballe has gone to England,
having embarked, it is said, at Montreuil ' : and
Madame de Lage's own mother continued for over
a week to address letters to her daughter in England.
The legend has been kept up by a spurious letter,
long accepted as genuine, supposed to be written by
Marie Antoinette to her sister the Archduchess
Marie Christine, in which she speaks of her 'dear
Lamballe having just undertaken a perilous journey
to England in all secrecy on my behalf ' ; and even
gives detailed accounts of her interviews with the
Queen and court. The Princesse never attempted
any diplomatic work outside her own country, nor
was there time or opportunity for her to receive any
instructions from the Queen : and whilst on this
point it must be mentioned how necessary it is to
accept with very great reserve all letters purporting
to have been written by Marie Antoinette. We
have already had occasion to quote some, and shall
do so yet again : many are undoubtedly genuine,
but others more doubtful, and the one to which
allusion has just been made is unquestionably
a forgery. The Queen did write very frequently

THE PRINCESSE AT BRUSSELS 205

to the Princesse, and the Princesse preserved as
many of her letters as she was able : additions may,
of course, easily have been made to them since,
but unless internal evidence proves them false, we
must suppose them genuine.

Having recovered from the first shock of these
deplorable tidings, Madame de Lamballe thought it
best to continue her journey, as she had arranged, to
Brussels, where she could at least meet and confer
with the Queen's friends as to the next step wisest
to be taken. Brussels was reached on the 27th
June, and here, besides the Archduchess, she found
Monsieur and Madame safely escaped, and a week
later was joined by Count Fersen, a raging and dis-
appointed man. These two good creatures, despite
the royal cause each held so dearly at heart, seem to
have had little else in common, for Fersen notes in
his Diary for 6 th July, ' Conversation with Madame de
Lamballe ; gossip and nonsense ' ; and says no more
of her. Indeed there was much gossip, much talk,
and it was difficult to arrive at any satisfactory
conclusion. The question with the Princesse was
entirely whether she could serve the Queen best by
remaining out of France or by returning to her. The
great difiiculty in escape hitherto had always been
that there were so many relatives and friends who
must not be left : all must fly together, with great
addition to anxiety and doubtfulness of universal
security ; but now that all were safe, except the

206 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

royal family itself, it might be kinder to remain
away and keep the board clear, so to speak, for
further moves. Monsieur and Madame decidedly
thought so, and set off for Coblentz, where they set
up as good an imitation court as they could, and
welcomed all emigres ; but Madame de Lamballe
could not quite satisfy herself as to what the Queen
would really wish. She lingered, therefore, a fort-
night at Brussels, until she learned that it was Marie
Antoinette's express desire that her former ladies
and servants should not, at least immediately, rejoin
her, since she believed they could do more for her at
a distance ; and she then started for Aix-la-ChapeUe
(travelling under the title of the Comtesse d'Amboise),
stopping at Li^ge on the way, and arriving at her
destination on the 1 1th July.

She went first to the Maison Schleiden, in the Eue
St. Jacques, but not finding this big enough, moved
shortly to the Grand Hotel Dubigk on the Comp-
hausbad, where she retained a handsome suite of
rooms for her own and her household's use. The
little party immediately found itself surrounded by
friends : M. de Clermont and the Marquis de
Vaupaliere, both good men and old friends of the
Princesse, lodged near, and called upon her frequently ;
she felt, with a sense of relief, that she could at any
moment throw herself upon their advice. Another
encounter was somewhat embarrassing : it was dis-
covered that Madame de Las Cases, who on a poor

LIEUTENANT DE LAS CASES 207

excuse had left the Princesse three months sooner,
was occupying the upper flat in the same hotel ; but
the Princesse accepted the situation with her usual
kindness, informing the Marquise that she should
always be glad to entertain her as a friend, though
she must no longer consider herself a member of the
household. Madame de Las Cases had with her a
young nephew, a lieutenant in the French Navy,
whom the Princesse had never met before, and in
whom, as in many young people of both sexes, she
took a deep and kindly interest. Needless to say,
he adored her ; and long afterwards, when sharing
the exile of Napoleon at St. Helena, the Emperor
conversed with him about many famous people of
the ancien regime, and remarked that he had never
seen the Princesse de Lamballe, the elderly man
whom she had playfully called ' her young romancer '
told warmly of her beauty, her kindness, her good-
ness to his then insignificant self, and the tragic
destiny which already then seemed to have cast its
shadow upon her.

Madame de Lage was also charmed to find her
dear friend ' Lusy ' de Polastron at Aix, though just
on the point of leaving for Coblentz and very anxious
to carry Madame de Lage ofi" with her ; the Princesse,
however, perhaps a little piqued with jealousy, would
not permit her to go. Coblentz and Spa were even
gayer than Aix, and no doubt the lively Etiennette
would have enjoyed the change, but she gave up the

208 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

idea for the present. Her counsel was that the Prin-
cesse should retire to her relatives at Turin, and she
tried to persuade her to do so ; but for some reason
the Princesse remained very opposed to this. She
felt if she once went there, she would be cut off
from her French friends for ever, and buried in the
little Italian town. ' It is all very well to talk ! ' she
exclaimed, half vexed, one day ; ' but you would not
go there yourself.' ' O, but what a horrible ac-
cusation ! ' cried the impulsive Etiennette. ' You
know very well that the more sad and desolate you
were, the more I would be with you ! ' And so the
two women burst into tears and fell into one another's
arms, and forgave the momentary ill-temper ; but to
tell truth, the Princesse was at her wits' end to know
what she ought to do. M. de Clermont and M. de la
Vaupalifere seem to have thought her duty was to
return to France immediately; on the other hand,
she received constant letters from the Queen, couched
in such language as, ' I know well that you love me,
and I had no need of this fresh proof. What happi-
ness it is to be loved for one's own self! Your
attachment and that of a few other friends gives me
strength.' And again, ' I am so happy, my dear
Lamballe, to know that you are in safety in the
terrible state of our aflFairs. Do not return ; I know
well your heart is true, and I do not wish you to
come back. I bring every misfortune upon you. It
is necessary to my peace that my friends should not

SOCIETY AT AIX 209

compromise themselves, for it would be endanger-
ing themselves without being of use to us. Do
not add to my anxieties for all those I love. The
King's brothers are unfortunately surrounded by
ambitious and mistaken people. ... I will confess,
despite my courage, that I could be glad to die if it
were not for my husband and children. ... I weep
for my family and friends, but not for myself. . . .
Adieu, my dear heart ; love me as I love you ! — Marie
Antoinette.' Notwithstanding these commands, the
Princesse worried herself still, fearing that the Queen
kept things back, that matters were worse than they
appeared, that she ought not to remain apart from
her friend. If there were no hope the royal family
could escape, she would return and share everything
with them, she asked no better ; but if they could
escape — and she was loth to give up all hope of it —
she would be merely one more in the way. Gladly
did she learn that Gustavus of Sweden had arrived
at Spa, for at that time immense hope was placed in
his help and championship for France ; and she de-
termined so soon as possible to journey over there
and see him.

Despite the practical homelessness of most of the
visitors at Aix, and the genuine anxiety they must
have suffered concerning many of their relatives and
friends, they seem to have contrived to form a
merry and pleasant society among themselves in a
quiet way : Madame de Lage gives us lively pictures

210 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

of it in her letters and journal. The hotel, she says,
was a nice house, and the rooms comfortable and
convenient ; it was situated in a fine street, near the
Eedoubt, and at an easy distance for the baths and
the rouge-et-noir tables. 'Everybody goes to bed
by eleven, and rises early. The Princesse allows
little play in her rooms ; and as we must have some
amusement, a few of us slip over to the Redoubt
when we think she will not know, either in the
mornings or at four o'clock, when she is resting.
The most curious set of people are there at such
times — nearly all Jews. If we cannot leave the
Princesse, we get my brother-in-law to play for us ;
but when we go with her in the evenings, we pass
the tables without even looking at them : you would
think we were quite strangers to the place.' She
further assures her mother that she will not be
ruined, for she has put aside one hundred louis for
play and nothing else. But the charms of that in-
vitation to Coblentz grew in the young Comtesse's
mind, and at last the Princesse was obliged, rather
reluctantly, to grant her permission to go — for three
weeks. She stayed at the Convent of the Filles
Sainte Marie, and enjoyed herself so enormously that
the appointed time flew all too fast ; and the hand-
some Comte d'Artois, always ready to flirt with
her, and Madame de Polastron, her beloved friend,
implored her to ask for an extension of leave ; but
she put it off" till the 8th September, the very day

VISIT TO THE KING OF SWEDEN 211

she should have left, and then, when it was too late
to receive any answer, merely wrote to say she was
staying a little longer. As a matter of fact, she did
not return till the 22 nd.

The Princesse was, naturally, very much vexed.
She could not put off her visit to the King of Sweden
any longer, so, taking Madame de Las Cases with her,
she went to Spa for a few days, staying there at the
Hotel du Lion Noir in the Grand Place. She had many
long talks with Gustavus, who, since she had last seen
him, had had a revolution of his own to quell, but was
none the less determined to do what he could in the
wisest possible way to save France. As he bade her
good-bye at the end of her visit, he said, ' You will
see me again soon, but you must remember that
for my part I am still bound by certain limits, certain
considerations, and that mine is in fact the most
delicate of roles. Know that I, whom you will next
see fighting at the head of the aristocracy of your
country, am at home the first democrat of my nation.'
But, alas ! except for one or two occasions within the
next few weeks, the Princesse never saw the gallant
Gustavus more. The Swedish people had too much
sympathy with the French to wish to take up arms
against them, and the King merely made himself
unpopular by his efforts. He was assassinated at a
masked ball at Stockholm in the following March.

No doubt Madame de Lage felt rather like a
naughty little girl when she returned to Aix at the

212 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

end of September ; but she was well punished for
her truancy when she found that the Princesse, who
received her somewhat coldly, had been to Spa with-
out her. This was an expedition she had dearly wished
to make, but she dared not now ask further leave
to go alone. ' Yet I am told,' she writes lamentingly,
'that it is the only place in which one can forget
the Revolution. There are seventeen princes and
princesses there, and a King worth a thousand, while
the little German princes don't count, for the place
is simply paved with them.' Her grandmother died
shortly after ; and she philosophically remarks that
fortunately this need not be very expensive, as black
gloves and stockings with white and grey frocks are
quite sufficient mourning for an old lady of eighty-
eight, whom she had hardly ever seen : she had, in fact,
sent most of her diamonds to be sold in Vienna whUe
she was at Coblentz, in order to provide sufficient
pretty toilettes for the gaieties there. The Princesse,
perhaps to console her for the bereavement, relented
from her displeasure sufficiently to take her to visit
Charlemagne's Baths early in October ; and Madame
de Lage was immensely interested, and describes the
shrine and relics, the mantle and slippers the great
King really wore, and ' which are now used only at
the Emperor's coronation,' adding that the Princesse
paid twelve louis for a little bit of sulphur taken just
from the spot where the spring escaped — an expensive
treasure, but one she liked to possess.

AN AWKWARD MOMENT 213

The small quarrel regarding the Coblentz visit
rankled still, but Madame de Lage had the pleasure
of seeing the ' King worth a thousand ' after all, for
Gustavus returned the Princesse's visit, arriving at
Aix on the 8th October, and she gave a great dinner
for him on the following night. The Duchess of
Cumberland was invited to it too, and was much
insulted because the doors were not opened so widely
for her as they had been for the King. Towards the
close of the meal the Princesse made a half-laughing
allusion to the absence without leave of her favourite
lady during her own visit to Spa, and Etiennette,
who had been feeling cross for no particular reason
before, suddenly felt her ill-humour overflow, and
coffee being almost immediately brought in, she sprang
to her feet and went out on the balcony. Here she
stood, viciously twisting a little charm she wore hung
on a chain, till she felt an arm laid on hers — her
friend Madame de Ginestous, no doubt. 'My dear,'
she exclaimed, without looking round, 'how ridicu-
lous the Princesse was just now ! ' Silence for a
moment ; then ' Why ? ' in a voice she had not
expected. It was the Princesse herself.

^ifitiennette felt herself grow cold and absolutely
speechless ; she could not move. The Princesse
retired, and a moment later M. de Clermont came
out. 'Are you mad ?' he exclaimed. 'Do you never
reflect before you speak ? ' '0 my dear friend,' she
implored, * don't preach at me now ! But how did

214 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

you know?' — 'She has just told me what has
happened. She said, " Go out on the balcony ; you
will find Madame de Lage, whom I have just left a
little embarrassed," and then she told me of your
idiotic remark. She declared she was not very
angry, only sorry that one she loved should speak
of her so. '

Madame de Lage was obliged to go in, as the night
grew cold; but fortunately the room was full of people,
and she made herself as amiable as she could to the
guests, and kept as far as possible from the Princesse.
But people began to go, the ranks thinned, and she
felt in despair. Then ' She was perfect I ' wrote the
little Comtesse, describing the incident to her mother
after. ' She called me to see to her work, saying she
had mistaken a shade, and I was delighted, and sat
down beside her under the canopy, with tears in my
eyes. I could have hugged her, only there were still
a few people there ; and then she went early to bed so
that there should be no embarrassing good-nights.
Don't scold me, for indeed I am furious enough with
myself, and well paid out for my temper ; I hardly
dare meet her eyes. All is pardon, and nothing
said ; you see I can't say " I am sorry I said I
thought you were ridiculous ! " '

So the little breeze blew over, but indeed there
were few days left to brood over anything of such
small importance. All through August and Septem-
ber the Princesse heard constantly from the Queen at

'DO NOT RETURN' 215

the Tuileries, the burden of her correspondence being
always : ' Do not return, my dear Lamballe. I do not
deceive myself : I leave all with God. Trust in my
sincere friendship, and if you wish to give me a proof
of your attachment, dear heart, take every care of
your health, and do not think of returning.' ' How
good you are, and what a sincere friend ! I feel it
deeply, and in the strength of my love for you I
forbid you to return. Believe that my love for you
will only cease with my life.' ' I have shown your
letter to the King, as you wished : he bids me tell
you he is enchanted to do anything to please you,
and is quite vexed you did not ask him sooner.' One
day the Queen sent her friend a ring containing some
of her whitened hair, with the inscription ' lis sont
hlanchis par le malheur,' and from this ring the
Princesse never after parted ; it was found upon her
body after death. One letter, given by Leseure, is
especially remarkable for the Queen's allusions to
M. de Provence, between whom and the King's
party there was at this time little love lost, since his
setting up of a semi-regal court at Coblentz, besides
being dangerously compromising to the royal prisoners
in Paris, was deeply resented by them.

'Jitly 1791.

' You must not doubt, my dear heart, of the
pleasure we have had in hearing of your happy
arrival. In the new sorrows that surround us, it is

216 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

a consolation to know that thqse we love are in safety.
I have not changed my mind on the subject of which
I spoke to you, though things remain just the same.
Be sure, my dear Lamballe, there is in that heart
more self-love than affection for his brother, and cer-
tainly for me. His regret all his life has been not to
have been born the master, and this fury to put him-
self in the most prominent position has only increased
since our sorrows, which have afforded him the oppor-
tunity to push forward. But do not let us speatof
our worries ; let us speak of you. It is a subject
both inexhaustible and more agreeable. Give me
frequent news of you. The King has seen all your
letters and is much touched. Adieu, dear heart ;
write that you always love me ; I have much need
of it. For me, you know that I cannot change.

' The King has this morning received a letter from
M. de Penthievre, and I re-open my letter to beg you
to assure the Comtesse that her affair is already
finished, and there was no need to write from so far.
. . . Burn this letter.

' I re-open a second time at the King's, to tell you
that I have received your second. Thanks, thanks,
for him and for me. My friendship is unalterable.
You are an angel.'

This is the letter said to have fallen, bloodstained,
from the Princesse's hair at the time of her murder.
The Comtesse mentioned in it is probably Madame de

THE NEW CONSTITUTION 217

Ginestous, for the caution necessary in correspondence
is evidenced by the fact that in all the letters passing
at this time between Madame de Lage and her
mother, the Princesse is spoken of always as 'my
sister'; the Queen, 'her sister-in-law'; Madame de
Ginestous, ' my good Comtesse ' ; M. de Provence,
* my cousin ' ; and M. d'Artois, ' my brother.'

A new Constitution was prepared for France, and
on the 14th September the King signified his accept-
ance of it ; the poor man could in fact do no other,
though little attention was paid to his oath after the
one he had sworn in July 1790, and his attempt to
leave France a year later. The royal family were
in fact by this time really prisoners. The guards on
duty in the Palace were ordered never to lose sight
of them for a moment ; and even in bed at night the
Queen's door must be left open that she might be
watched by a soldier. It was difficult to find oppor-
tunity for a word in private between any two mem-
bers of the family. After the signing of the new
Constitution a little more liberty was allowed them,
and there were some faint attempts at loyal cheerings
when they drove through Paris that night to witness
the illuminations ; but it was very ephemeral. Still,
the Princesse de Lamballe wrote -constantly from Aix
begging to be allowed to resume her duties, and still
Marie Antoinette replied she must not dream of
coming to Paris. A letter from the Queen, dated the
4th September 1791, runs: —

218 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

' I cannot go out, my dear Lamballe, without writ-
ing to you. Your letter gave me too much pleasure.
I see your friendship too well. I am very sad and
afflicted ; the disorders never cease. I see audacity
increasing among our enemies, and courage diminish-
ing among honest men. One can only think from
day to day with terrible fears for the morrow. No,
once again, do not return, my dear heart. Do not
throw yourself into the tiger's jaws. I suffer already
too much uneasiness for my husband and my poor
little children. . . . What you wished is done ; the
true and faithful person has carried off all the papers.
Your other affair seems to be taking a better turn,
but will be spoilt if you return.

'My daughter is well. You know how my poor
little girl loves you, and also the chou d'amour, who
is on my knees at this moment, and wants to write
to you.' [Here follows the Dauphin's baby signature.]
' Adieu, my dear heart ; your friendship is my consola-
tion and my only happiness.'

The italics are the Queen's own.

In the beginning of October, however, the new
provisions of the Constitution came into operation,
and the Queen was requested to set her household in
order, and dismiss all such members of it as had left
France or were not able to fulfil their duties. Under
this compulsion then, she wrote to her friend officially,
requesting her immediately to resume her post as

A SUMMONS 219

Superintendent, or resign it; and this letter the Prin-
cesse received on the 13th October. She knew very
well that the Queen had written under pressure, and
probably still did not really wish her to return ; but
there is little question where her own heart lay, and
though she still reserved a week or two for considera-
tion and counsel with her friends, there was never
any doubt as to the course that she would choose.
She had always wished to return, and though the
peremptoriness of this sudden command in contradic-
tion to the many tender letters preceding it no doubt
agitated her for the moment, she was really thankful
to see her path plainly pointed out before her. ' The
Queen wishes me,' she said to all who argued with
her, 'and I must live and die with her.' But she
would not act on impulse ; she would look the whole
situation fully in the face first. If she returned, she
knew well that it was to certain danger and possible
death ; her own people implored her to come back to
Turin and stay with them there in safety ; but M. de
Clermont and M. de la Vaupalifere applauded and
encouraged her in her resolve to go to the Queen.

On the 15th she made and signed her will, of
which Lescure gives the following copy : —

' This is my Testament.

' In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

' I make and institute the Prince of Savoy-Carignan, my
nephew, my heir and universal legatee of all my goods, per-
sonal and others, and, in his default, M. the Due d'Enghien,
my cousin on my mother's side.

220 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

' I beg M. de la Vaupali6re and M. de Clermont-Gallerande
to be my testamentary executors.

' I entreat the Queen to receive a mark of gratitude from
one to whom she has given the precious title of " her friend,"
a title which has made my life happy, and which I have
never used but to give her marks of affection and proofs of
my sentiments towards herself, whom I have ever loved ;
these sentiments I shall cherish till my last breath. I beg
her as a last favour to accept my repeater watch, to remind
her of the hours which we have passed together ; and also
a Magdalen painted in enamel by Tournon.

' I give and bequeath to M. the Due de Penthi^vre, my
father-in-law, the portrait of the Queen painted in enamel,
with that of Louis xiv.,i also painted in enamel ; and a ring
of turquoises surrounded by diamonds, a ring which I beg
him often to wear to remind him of my union with his
family and my filial love for him.

'I give and bequeath to Madame the Duchesse d'OrMans,
my sister-in-law, a breakfast-set with the lacquer box which
holds it, a present which was made to me by the will of
Madame the Comtesse de Toulouse ; also a box in which are
the portraits of her children, Messieurs de Chartres and de
Montpensier. I flatter myself she will indeed regard these
two legacies as a mark of friendship on my part.

' I give and bequeath to the Princesse de Carignan, my
sister-in-law, my tassels of diamonds, and a ring of
sapphire surrounded with diamonds, which will recall to her
our mutual friendship and confidence.

' I give and bequeath to Madame the Princesse de Conty,
my aunt, knowing her taste for paintings, a little picture
painted in enamel, representing a peasant. I implore her
acceptance of this mark of my tenderness for her.

' I give and bequeath to Madame de Kercado, my large
green writing-desk and the clock which stands in my room.
I beg of this tender friend that this clock shall be placed in
the room she occupies most, that it may recall me to her
memory every hour.

' The Duo's grandfather.

THE PRINCESSE'S WILL 221

' I give and bequeath to Madame de Brunoy, two pictures,
one representing Melancholy and the other Happiness. I
hope that this last will recall to her what I have felt in
being loved by her.

'I give and bequeath to Madame de Vauban my large
writing-table of yellow wood.

' I give and bequeath to Madame de Luynes all my books
printed by Didot and bound by Deromme.

' I give and bequeath to M. de Choiseul-Gouffier my Eng-
lish boxes bound with steel : and I wish that they should
be delivered to him unopened, as a mark of my friendship
and confidence in him.

' I give and bequeath to M. de la Vaupali^re and M. de
Clermont-G-allerande, my two testamentary executors, all
my chests.

'I give and bequeath to M. de S^gur (the elder) the
Voyages de Naples et des deux Sidles, bound by Deromme.

' I give and bequeath to the Chevalier de Durfort, my
Encyclopaedia.

' I give and bequeath to the Baronne de Montboissier, a
coffer in lacquer, with drawers, in which my papers were
kept.

' I give and bequeath to Madame de Donissan, a table
given me by the Queen, made in precious wood, with
cameos mounted in ormoulou ; and I feel that, coming from
a dear hand, I cannot dispose of this better than in trans-
mitting it to my intimate friend.

' I give and bequeath to Madame de Las Cases, my
lady of honour, my hrcakfast a tlii, with table and all
complete, and an annuity to the value of half her appoint-
ment.

'I give and bequeath to Madame DelS,ge-Volude, an
annuity to the value of half her appointment.

' I give and bequeath to Madame de Ginestous, my
service of Sevres porcelain, and an annuity to the value
of half her appointment.

' I give and bequeath to Madame de Brunoy, my large sofa
of mahogany wood, with the screen.

222 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

' I give and bequeath to M. d'Yanville, my master of horse,
an annuity of 1200 francs, with two horses and my best
carriage.

'I give and bequeath to my three women of the bed-
chamber, my wardrobe, to be divided equally amongst
them, and an annuity of 800 francs to each.

' I give and bequeath to Mdlle. Mertin, my first woman,
my unmade dresses and my lace, to be divided with my
third woman.

' I give and bequeath to my woman of the wardrobe, an
annuity of 600 francs, and to share with my other women
my court dresses.

' I give and bequeath to my under- woman of the ward-
robe, if she is still in my service, an annuity of 300 francs :
if not, a year of her wages and board as a gratuity.

' I give and bequeath to Chevalier, my valet de chambre,
an annuity of 800 francs.

' I give and bequeath to Magnat, an annuity of 800 francs.

' I give and bequeath to my other valets de chambre a
year's wages as a gratuity.

' I give and bequeath to my footmen a gratuity of a year's
wages each ; and to those who shall have been ten years in
my service, an annuity of 400 francs.

' I give and bequeath to Aza an annuity of 600 francs, and
a year's wages and board, and also an annuity of 150 francs
to take care of my dogs, this annuity to cease at the death
of the dogs.

' I give and bequeath to the men of my household who
have fulfilled their years of service with me, annuities of
500 francs to the upper servants, and 300 francs to the
lower ; and those who have not stayed so long, both upper
and lower, gratuities in proportion to the time they shall
have served.

'I give and bequeath to my treasurer an annuity of 1000
livres.

' With regard to all pensions made in my lifetime to the
people of my household, such as my doctor, M. Saiffert, and

SHE GOES ALONE 223

others, it is my wish that these pensions shall be continued
to them.

' I give and bequeath 2000 francs to be paid at once to my
old nurse.

' I give and bequeath 3000 francs to be paid at once to the
Hotel Dieu.

' I wish to be buried with the greatest simplicity, and not
by a priest who has taken the new oath, nor in a parish
under the new regulations.

' I wish my body to be kept for three days after death,
and that my doctor or surgeon should examine me during
the three days.

'As I leave some property in lands, I desire that these
should be sold, and the money invested in such a manner
that the interest shall pay these annuities, and as the
annuities become extinct, then the heirs shall enjoy the
funds.

' This testament is made at Aix la Chapelle, to-day the
15th October 1791.

Maeie Th^rese Louise de Savoie.'

Madame de Las Cases offered to accompany her
former mistress ; but ' No, my dear,' said the
Princesse very sweetly ; ' no doubt your health still
requires the waters, and as Mesdames de Ginestous
and De Lage, who have never left me, are still
sufficiently devoted to wish to return with me, I
shall take them.' But as a matter of fact she did
not take either. The ill-fated visit to Coblentz had
put Madame de Lage more beyond possibility of
usefulness than she had realised at the time ; it
would not be possible for any lady straight from the
emigres court to be received at the Tuileries, and
she must, therefore, remain at Aix. Madame de

224 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

Ginestous could have gone, but until she saw for
herself how matters stood, the Princesse was loth to
carry her young companion into danger, and there-
fore left her also, promising, however, to send for her
shortly. Young Lieutenant de Las Cases implored
to be allowed to accompany her, but him too she
would not take. He must write to her, and she to
him, and she thenceforth called him ' her novelist,'
in honour of the charming and graphic letters he
wrote her every other day : but they never met
again.

On Saturday, the 20th October, Madame de Lam-
balle left Aix alone, and started back ' into the
tiger's jaws.'

' BACK TO THE TIGER'S JAWS ' 225

CHAPTER XVI

1791-2

The Paris newspapers of November 4tli announce
the return of Madame de Lamballe : and she must
indeed have been shocked when her eyes first fell
upon the altered appearance of her friend, and when
she discovered the miserable state in which the royal
family were living at the Tuileries.

The Queen's hair had become quite white, her
eyes sunken, her face haggard : the children wore
silent, anxious looks little suited to their years : the
King, poor inarticulate Louis, crushed with humilia-
tion, scarcely spoke, but pressed her hand with a
fervour that showed his pleasure in seeing her again.
She too had to submit to the constant watching, now
the lot of every member of the household. On pre-
text that the chapel was too far from the royal
apartments, a wooden altar had been set up in the
Gallerie de Diane, and mass was only allowed to be
celebrated there. Her old apartments in the Pavilion
de Flore were again set at the Princesse's disposal,
but before settling finally down at the Tuileries, she

226 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

went on a few days' visit to her father-in-law, who
lay ill at his castle at Anet.

M. de Penthievre had now his daughter and his
friend M. de Miromesnil living entirely with him ;
but in spite of the universal love and respect in
which he was held, eddies of the revolution had even
touched the quiet waters of his life. His arms, hung
up in St. Eustache, the parish church of his great
town house, the Hotel de Toulouse, had been
violently torn down and burnt ; and it was reported
to him that the Jacobins had grudgingly remarked
that they knew he gave half his wealth to the poor,
but it would be much better if he gave it all, as then
they would receive double. 'Their arithmetic is
correct,' was the old Due's only reply to this, with
a faint smile. In obedience to a decree commanding
that all orders of honour or nobility be given up, he
quietly renounced his, ' without,' he said, ' regret.
These things flattered me in my youth ; but I am
accustomed to them now, and think no more of
them. If the suppression of them can make France
happy, may God be praised ! ' He was even ready
to relinquish his title, but must, he said, have some
name, and was puzzled what to call himself. Citoyen
Penthievre was hardly correct, and Citoyen Bourbon
might be thought presumptuous. But, as a matter of
fact, all these considerations were quite extraneous,
and his life in the main still the quiet, peaceful
existence he had always loved. What longing

'RETURN! RETURN! RETURN!' 227

memories it must have called up to the Princesse
during her visit ! She could remain only four days ;
and the night before she left, the Due remarked
sorrowfully and almost prophetically to his faithful
valet, ' I praise much my daughter-in-law's attach-
ment for the Queen : she makes a great sacrifice in
returning to her. I tremble lest she should fall a
victim to it.'

Once settled at the Tuileries, the Princesse did her
utmost to make things cheerful at court, or so much
of the old court as could be called together. Most
of its members were either ill, dead, or away ; many
of the shops were closed ; all gaiety, except of the
lowest and most brutal sort, seemed to have forsaken
the gay city. In the end of November the Comte
d'Amblimont, father of Madame de Lage, passed a
few days in Paris on his way to his daughter at Aix,
and supped with the Princesse one night, afterwards
attending the King's coucher. She wrote, at the
Queen's request, to many of the emigre's, urging
their return, and on the margin of some of her notes
are added the words : ' I am at her elbow, and repeat
the necessity of your return, if you love your King,
your religion, your government, and your country.
Return! Return! Return! — Marie Antoinette.' It
is almost impossible to understand how such letters
could meet with a refusal. This matter of the
emigres was in fact the sorest of questions, and made
the family the more unhappy since they were not at

228 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

one upon it. The King and Queen felt bitterly
now that if the nobility had remained by them, they
would at least have a party in Paris, if a small one ;
but now they stood absolutely alone, while their
so - called friends enjoyed makeshift frivolities at
Coblentz, and paid assiduous court to the King's
brothers. Most unfortunate of all was it that
Madame Elizabeth's sympathies were entirely with
her second brother, and her character being of a
strange firmness in comparison with the King's, she
spoke her thoughts deliberately, and made no at-
tempt to conceal them. ' Our family life is like
hell,' the Queen wrote to Count Fersen this winter.
' It is not possible to speak a word with the best
intention in the world. My sister is so outspoken,
so guided by designing men here, and so strongly
influenced by her brothers abroad, that we cannot
talk to each other without being at strife the whole
day long.' No doubt, if Elizabeth had been the
man, she would have made a better fight for it than
Louis, but, as it was, she has left a splendid example
to the world of loyalty without conviction, for she
died for the King-brother in whose cause she did not
believe.

Paris had never suited Madame de Lamballe, even
in the days when she could refresh herself by frequent
absences to the country ; and spite of her determined
cheerfulness now, the closeness in which she was kept
preyed terribly upon her spirits. 'La bonne Lam-

THE SHADOW OF A DUNGEON 229

halle, who seems only to have waited for danger to
show all she is worth,' wrote Marie Antoinette to
the Duchesse de Polignac this December, ' is a little
ill from not being able to go out without being
assailed by atrocious epithets. For myself, I have
no need of fresh, air, and find it sufficient to stand
at the window sometimes.' One of the Princesse's
own notes, 'aw cousin E.,' evidently her young
knight Las Cases, must have been written about
now, and in it, after rather sad attempts at badinage,
she remarks : ' I thank you for your political descrip-
tions ; I find them perfect, and my novelist gives me
much pleasure. He will always do so if he will con-
tinue, for I am delighted in my dungeon to know
what passes at a distance. ... I repeat again all my
thanks. The post presses.' The poor lady was soon
to know more of a real dungeon than her pretty if
restricted apartments in the Pavilion de Flore. ' Her
small silver voice,' wrote Carlyle ; ' what can it profit
in that piping of the black world-tornado ? '

Madame de Lamballe was the first to send her
good wishes for the New Year to the King and Queen
at the opening of 1792, the last year of her life.
Clouds were gathering about her, and already she was
an object of hatred and suspicion to Potion, the new
Mayor of Paris in the place of Bailly. He objected
to the Queen going to tea or supper in the Princesse's
apartments, and to satisfy him, the two friends were
obliged to meet only while the Queen was dressing,

230 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

and then but in semi-private. The royal family-
dared not offend the Mayor or any prominent
member of the National Assembly, and they could
scarcely speak to the people they wished to thank
and conciliate, for fear of drawing suspicion upon
them. Certain of the emigres had returned, M. de
Clermont and Madame de Ginestous had joined the
Princesse, and as much as possible, she influenced
others who were still intending to start, and induced
them to remain. Emigration was equally unpopular
with the nation and the court, for those who left
took all their wealth with them, and money flowed
out of the country like water. Madame de la Roche-
jaquelin, in her Memoires, gives an interesting account
of these months, and the desperate anxiety with which
the Queen and the Princesse endeavoured to keep all
the loyal folk they could about them. She herself,
a girl of nineteen, god-daughter to the King and
Madame Victoire, had recently married her first
husband the Marquis de Lescure, and in February
1792 they decided to join the emigrants, informing
them of their resolve, and going to Paris on their way.
' I could not be presented to the King,' writes
Madame de la Rochejaquelin, ' as since his Majesty
had come to Paris all presentations had been sus-
pended. I went to the Tuileries, chez Madame la
Princesse de Lamballe. She was the most intimate
friend of my mother, and she received me as if I had
been her daughter. Next day M. de Lescure went

MADAME DE LA KOCHEJAQUELIN 231

to the Tuileries. The Queen condescended to say to
him, " I know you have brought Victorine : there is
no court now, but I wish to see her notwithstanding.
Let her come to-morrow at noon to the Princesse de
Lamballe's." Lescure gave me this flattering order,
and I went to the Princesse. The Queen embraced
me, and we all withdrew into a closet ; and after
some words full of goodness, her Majesty said to
me, " And you, Victorine, what do you intend to do ?
I suspect you are come here for the purpose of emi-
grating." I replied it was the intention of Lescure ;
but that he would remain at Paris if he thought he
could be useful to his Majesty. The Queen reflected
for some time and said to me, in a very serious tone :
" He is a good subject : he has no ambition ; let
him remain. " I replied to the Queen that her orders
were laws. She spoke to me afterwards of her
children. "It is a long time since you have seen
them ; come to-morrow at six to Madame de Tourzel's,
and I will bring my daughter there." She at that
time found consolation in superintending the educa-
tion of Madame Eoyale, and Madame de Tourzel had
the charge only of M. le Dauphin.

'After the departure of the Queen, Madame la
Princesse de Lamballe expressed to me how much
she rejoiced in the reception I had met with. I said
I felt the full value of it, and that Lescure would
certainly remain. She recommended the greatest
secrecy upon what had passed.'

232 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

Great attention was paid to the young couple :
every day M. de Lescure went to the Tuileries, and
every day the Queen made a point of addressing him
personally. He was, however, soon much blamed
for not joining the emigre party as he had announced
his intention of doing, particularly as the change
occurred just two days after the publication of the
decree for confiscating the property of those who
left France. His bride became very indignant that
this circumstance should have been supposed to have
influenced him, and implored the Princesse to speak
again to the Queen, that they might have her direct
desire as a reason for remaining. It was not safe at
this time to write letters, so the Queen commanded
the Princesse to repeat her answer word for word.
It ran thus, ' I have nothing more to say to M. de
Lescure : it is for him to consult his conscience, his
duty, his honour ; but he ought to remember that
the defenders of a throne are always in their proper
place when near their King.' This satisfied the
Lescures, who found means to let the emigres know
that they had received private orders. They
lodged very quietly at the Hotel Diesbach, received
no company, and were as often as possible at the
Tuileries.

Gustavus of Sweden and his gallant follower Count
Fersen were still deeply anxious to keep in touch with
the King and Queen. Fersen had written in Novem-
ber to Marie Antoinette, ' Answer me as to the possi-

ASSASSINATION OF GUSTAVUS 233

bility of our meeting, quite alone, without servants,
in case I get orders from the King. He has ex-
pressed his wishes to me on the subject ' : but the
Queen, terrified lest he should be discovered after
his share in the flight to Varennes, implored him
not to risk it ; and it was not till the evening of
February 14th that he saw her again. He then
understood that it was impossible for the royal
family to make any further attempt to escape, and
that if help came at all it must come from without,
with which message he hastened back to his King.
The Queen's brother, Leopold of Austria, lukewarm
though he had long been in his sister's cause, now
at last under pressure of public opinion, joined the
Kings of Sweden, Spain, and Prussia in an alliance
to deliver the King and Queen of France ; and no
sooner had he done so than he died suddenly, on
the 10 th March, it was whispered by poison. A
week later, Gustavus was assassinated in Stockholm.
'This is a bullet,' gasped the dying Swede ruefully,
' that will delight the Jacobins of Paris.'

It did more : it quenched the last faint ray of
hope by which the Queen and her friends had been
comforted. Yet ' We must be courageous ! ' she said
to Madame de Tourzel. She was not permitted to
wear mourning for her brother ; but there were more
important things than this to grieve over. Leopold's
successor was a sickly youth of four-and-twenty, but
still blood kin to the Queen, and he might yet be

234 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

induced to help her. Wild tales were circulated
concerning an ' Austrian Committee ' said to meet
in Madame de Lamballe's rooms, with the object
of encouraging the invasion of France, a second
Bartholomew, and the destruction of the People's
new-found liberty : but plots, if plots there were,
were not alone on the side of the Royalists. In
March the Princesse wrote to M. de Breteuil of an
intention to carry off the Queen, divorce her from
the King, and imprison her in a convent ; and Marie
Antoinette sat up all one night burning letters that
might compromise her friends in case any such plot
should take effect. There was talk too of forcing
the King to have the Dauphin brought up under a
revolutionary tutor, for which post the afterwards
notorious Robespierre was named : and it is even
pretended that Madame de Lamballe's influence was
gained in favour of this plan, and that she spoke of
it to the King, who first exclaimed, 'You cannot
think of such a thing, ma cousine ! ' but afterwards
consented, if Robespierre would work privately in
his, the King's, interests. To this, the story says,
the ' sea-green incorruptible ' agreed, and even wrote
a pamphlet Le Defenseur de la Constitution, in the
King's favour, foreseeing glory for himself in the con-
nection ; but when at the last moment the arrange-
ment was broken to the Queen, she flatly refused to
permit it ; and so the plan fell through, the pamphlet
was withdrawn, and Robespierre cherished a secret

THE KING RECEIVES ORLEANS 235

and deadly hatred of the Princesse, who he considered
had wilfully misled and humiliated him.

There may have been some grain of truth in certain
of these stories ; but if most of them were traced to
an origin, it would have been found in the Palais
Royal, where Orleans, like some huge spider, sat
spinning venom to enmesh his former friends. After
the miserable return from Varennes, one section of
the popular party had proposed making him King in
his cousin's stead, but the Due, with wit to see that
such a position was the least enviable in Christendom,
promptly replied that ' So long as the King was in
France there could be no other ruler ' ; and further
voluntarily renounced all hereditary claim upon the
throne, and announced that he had joined the bour-
geois class for ever. Louis xvi., hoping against hope
that this conduct implied a tardy loyalty, now at last
consented to an attempt at peaceful relations with
Orleans, granted him that Grand Admiralship he had
coveted so long, and allowed Bertrand de Moleville to
arrange an interview between them, which passed off
in an entirely satisfactory manner. After the Due's
departure, the King assured de Moleville that he
believed him to be honestly doing all he could to
repair the evil that had been worked in his name
and for which he had perhaps not been so culpable as
was generally supposed : but unfortunately the rest
of the court was not informed of this partial recon-
ciliation; and when Orleans presented himself the

236 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

following Sunday at the King's lev^e, his appear-
ance was regarded only as an insult, an impertinence,
and a presumption. He was hustled towards the
door, and finding it impossible to pass, turned to the
Queen's apartments, where the tables were laid ; when
instantly the cry went up, ' Keep him away from the
dishes ! He means to poison them ! ' Furious at
this treatment, which he chose to believe had been
expressly organised by the Queen and her court to
show their contempt for him, he descended the stair-
case without waiting to see a single member of the
royal family, rage and spite painted upon his face ;
and as he went, some zealous courtiers, regarding him
as the King's arch-enemy, spat upon his head and
shoulders, an insult which he never afterwards for-
gave. Henceforth, Orleans was implacable.

Tardy though they were, the preparations made by
the new young sovereign of Austria and his friends
for the deliverance of the royal family of France
roused fury and indignation among the excited popu-
lace. They insisted upon taking the offensive and
being the first to declare war, and Louis xvi., whose
spare time and that of his family was spent in writing
cipher letters to Vienna and Coblentz imploring a
speedy invasion, was forced himself publicly to
announce war as his own wish and decision against
these, his only friends. The declaration was made on
the 20th April, and there were tears in the unhappy
King's eyes as he made it : nothing could have been

PLOTS AGAINST THE PRINCESSE 237

more hateful to his own honest nature than this
double part which circumstances obliged him to play,
Orleans and his sons watched him grimly from their
seats as he spoke. But the best generals of the
country were with the emigres, and hostilities began
with defeat and humiliation for France, further
enraging the people.

There was no question of St. Cloud this Easter, but
early in May the Princesse de Lamballe snatched a
few days to hasten to Anet and visit her father-in-
law. It was the last time they met, and she stayed
six days with him. The same day she left Paris, the
Prince de Lambesc started for England, and her
enemies took advantage of the circumstance to spread
it abroad that it was she who had again left the
country, a manifest lie easily disproved, but which
left its sting nevertheless. More subtle was another
plot against her, emanating with very little doubt
from the Palais Eoyal. Eegnault de St. Jean d'Angely,
a member of the Assembly, was one day mysteriously
invited by his colleague. Richer de Serizy, in Madame
de Lamballe's name, to attend a committee in her
rooms on the following Friday, with the intimation
that Malouet, Montmorin, and Bertrand de Moleville
would be there. It was of course supposed that
Regnault would indignantly refuse and merely spread
the tale of his invitation to the Princesse's discredit ;
but although a revolutionary he was also something
of a tuft-hunter, and being a vain creature and

238 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

totally unacquainted with the Princesse, thought he
should like to go, and even bragged to Malouet of his
' conquest.' Malouet stared at him, said he did not
himself know Madame de Lamballe, that there was
no committee, and that Regnault had very evidently
been made a dupe ; further calling upon Bertrand de
Moleville, who promptly sent a messenger to the
Princesse at Anet, and received the reply that she
too Aii^as absolutely ignorant of the whole business.
Bertrand insisted on inquiring thoroughly into the
report, and entirely dissipated the fabulous ' Austrian
Committee ' story ; but of a hundred who had heard
the original rumour, not ten knew of its denial ; and
the mischief, so far as the Princesse was concerned,
was irrevocably accomplished.

The people of France, more and more exultant and
uncontrolled as they tasted power, pressed further and
further measures upon the reluctant prisoner whom
they stdl derisively called their King ; the Constitu-
tion, it is true, gave him the privilege of vetoing any
decree of which he did not approve, but it was never
expected that he would exercise it. The three
Girondist members, however, Roland, Claviere, and
Servan, passed two decrees in the last week of May
which he could not and would not sanction. One
was that all priests refusing to swear to the new
Constitution of the Church should be immediately
banished from the kingdom ; the other that an army
of twenty thousand men should be brought up from

THE KING'S VETO 239

the provinces and permanently encamped outside
Paris. The Queen and her friends were even more
strongly opposed to both these measures than him-
self : they regarded the priests who had sworn to the
new Constitution as no better than renegades, and
saw no reason why the King should wilfully surround
himself with enemies. After a few weeks' considera-
tion, therefore, Louis, who had borne much, decided
to assert himself at last, put his veto on both decrees,
and dismissed the three Ministers.

This was on the 15th June, and instantly the
people rose in fury. They understood very well that
it was the Queen who had exercised her influence in
the matter, and bestowed upon her another oppro-
brious epithet, that of ' Madame Veto.' After five
days' ferment, early on the morning of the 20th,
thousands of the poorest, roughest, and most brutal
of them carried a huge Lombardy poplar, which they
called their 'Tree of Liberty,' to the Tuileries, where
they announced their intention of planting it on the
terrace. The magistrates of Paris tried to stop them,
but in vain ; they had a couple of cannon with them,
and their numbers were augmenting every moment.
Warning was sent to the Tuileries, and when the pro-
cession arrived, the gates were shut and the National
Guard on duty, so the tree had to be planted in a
neighbouring convent garden instead. The people,
however, hoped the King would come out to be
insulted, and waited all day to see him, but he did

240 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

not appear. Then, late in the afternoon, a door was
burst open, the mob rushed in, hoarse and savage with
fatigue and fury, and the royal household lay at its
mercy.

It was the first time the King and his people had
come face to face at such close quarters, and he
expected nothing less than death from them. They
burst into the room where he sat : his attendants
had just time to pull up a table across a deep bow-
window for his protection, and the procession passed
before him, streaming on through the royal apart-
ments of the Tuileries till it reached the room at
some distance where the Queen, with a similar poor
defence, sat with her ladies and her children. Her
first cry when she had heard of the mob being in
the Palace was that she must go to her husband,
her place was by his side. It would not have
been possible for her to reach him ; and Madame de
Lamballe cried quickly, ' No, no, Madame, your place
is with your children ! ' a sentiment the Queen knew
to be just. They pulled a table up before her chair
too, and she took the frightened little Dauphin on
her knee, while Madame Eoyale stood beside her,
and the Princesse de Lamballe leaned over the back
of her seat. The others present were the Princesse
de Tarente, Madame de Tourzel, the Duchesse de
Maille, the Marquise de Laroche-Aymon, Mesdames
de Machau, de Soucy, de Ginestous, and a few
gentlemen.

THE MOB IN THE PALACE 241

For three long hours the screaming, furious people
passed before that window, stopping often to argue
and shout horrible words at the unhappy Marie
Antoinette and her friends, showing with ghastly
joy the horrid trophies they carried : a gibbet with
a little doll hanging and the Queen's name attached ;
a bullock's heart with a sword through it, labelled
' The Aristocrat's heart ' ; a rod marked ' For Marie
Antoinette ' ; a guillotine, with at its foot the words,
' The People's instrument of justice for tyrants.
Down with Veto and his wife ! ' Other and worse
symbols : a cap of liberty which the Queen must
needs place on her little son's head ; and always the
hoarse rancour of a savage and hating people. Many
of their words she answered ; and some she convinced
she was not the Messalina they supposed her ; but
every moment of the time was tense with dread.
Madame de Ginestous, describing the occasion to
her friend Madame de Lage after, said that the
feeling with all was that if the Queen had shown one
moment's weakness, she would have been struck, and
that the first blow would have been the signal for a
general massacre. She was wonderful, 'but,' said
the lady, ' Madame de Lamballe displayed even
greater courage. Standing during the whole of that
long scene, leaning upon the Queen's chair, she
seemed only occupied with the dangers of that
unhappy princess without regarding her own.'

It was eight that night before the Tuileries was

Q

242 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

empty, and the unhappy family, trembling and
exhausted, met once more : the Queen, it was said,
had aged twenty years in that one afternoon.
Neither she nor the King could sleep for weeks
after : they would whisper to each other through the
night, ' Art thou still there — and the children ? '
fearing always that one at least might be murdered
ere the dawn.

Madame de la Eochejaquelin has given in her
Me'moires some account of the attack as seen from
without, and of the days which followed. ' On the
20 th June,' she says, ' I went alone to the Princesse
de Lamballe's. I was in court mourning on account
of the death of the Emperor, which had already
exposed some persons to insult from the people.
But the carriage could not penetrate further than
the Carrousel. The crowd was immense. I saw the
populace disarm and ill treat the guards of the King.
The gates of the Tuileries were shut ; nobody could
get in, and I withdrew without having been ob-
served.

' The summer passed away nearly in this manner.
Lescure was always at the Tuileries, or in public
places, even among the mob, disguising himself to
judge better of the state of the public mind. As
for me, I shunned society. I went but seldom even
to the Princesse de Lamballe's, yet saw all her
uneasiness and distress. Never was there a person
more courageously devoted to the Queen : to her

•I FEAR NOTHING' 243

she made the sacrifice of her life. A short time
before the 10th of August, she said to me, " As the
danger augments, I feel more strength. I am ready
to die — I fear nothing ! " She had not a thought
that was not for the King and Queen. Her father-
in-law the Due de Penthifevre adored her. She had
shown him the most tender attention, and he died of
the anguish occasioned by her cruel death.'

244 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

CHAPTER XVII

1792

All Frenchmen who had not completely lost their
heads were shocked and horrified at this disgraceful
outbreak of the 20 th June. A petition, signed by
twenty thousand people and presented by Lafayette,
was made to the Assembly to ensure the future safety
of the King by removing him to Rouen ; but
Lafayette was not in favour at court, and the King
and Queen refused with fatal folly to listen to any
proposal he might make. The only result of the
occasion, therefore, was that Petion the Mayor was
made angry at having been found incompetent to
keep peace, and that proof was afforded how entirely
out of hand the people had become, and how impos-
sible it would be to control them if they chose to take
matters into their own hands again.

Not the court alone dreaded the 14th July, when
once more the wretched travesty was to be performed
of the King renewing his oath upon the ' Altar of
the Country.' On this occasion the Princesse de
Lamballe drove in the first carriage with the King
and Queen, Madame Elizabeth, and the royal children ;

THE TREE OF FEUDALISM 245

but they were received with threatening cries, pa
iras, and defiant shouts of ' Long live Petion ! ' the
King having dismissed Petion two days before, and
the people immediately re-elected him in office.
This time the King had to proceed on foot from the
Ecole Militaire, where his family sat, to the ' Altar '
to take his oath ; and so immense and rough was
the crowd that it was nearly an hour before soldiers
could force a way for him to pass. The Queen
watched him through her glasses in an agony of
terror, fearing that he would never return in safety ;
but he did. Many people besides Madame de Stael
have said that on this occasion, perhaps the most
truly heroic of his life, he resembled nothing so much
as a victim off'ering himself for sacrifice. Close to
the altar stood a huge tree — on which were hung
models of the royal crown, the coronets, arms, and
insignia of all the princes, nobles, and clerical digni-
taries of France — which the people chose to call the
Tree of Feudalism. The King was invited to set fire
to this, but he escaped the humiliation by replying
that ' Feudalism no longer exists in France.' This
was the last public appearance of Louis xvi. till his
execution.

So entirely merged was the life of Madame de
Lamballe at this time in the interests of her royal
friends, that all she sufi"ered can only be indicated
in thus describing their terrors and trials. Her
chief companion in the palace -after the Queen was

246 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

the Princesse de Tarente la Tremouille, a noble and
courageous lady a few years younger than herself,
so equally devoted to the royal service that when
her period of waiting had expired, she would borrow
a room from Madame de Tourzel in order that it
should not be necessary for her to leave the Tuileries.
She dined and supped frequently with Madame de
Lamballe, and afterwards the mere fact of her having
done so put her in great danger, and she was closely
questioned concerning whom she met, and on what
the conversation turned, during these visits. The
old accusation against our unfortunate Princesse of
plots and intrigues was never forgotten.

Meanwhile Madame de Lage had spent the winter
and spring at Aix in company with her father,
husband, brother-in-law, and friends, and had as usual
made the best of life there, though often deeply con-
cerned about her beloved Princesse in Paris, whom
she might not join. Her mother and three little
girls were, however, in Bordeaux, and when, towards
the end of July, news reached her of the serious
illness of the Comtesse d'Amblimont, she at once
decided that she must travel thither. Every one
tried to dissuade her from doing so, even, which
seems strange, her father : but she was not to be
moved, and taking Paris on her way, arrived at the
capital on the 28th July. She had sent word to
the Princesse that she was coming, but only received
in reply a hasty note bidding her not go to the Hotel

LAST MEETING WITH ETIENNETTE 247

de Toulouse, as the concierge there was not to be
trusted ; so she went instead to the Hotel d'Orl^ans
in the Eue du Pare Eoyal, so loyal a little house that
she, arriving in the regulation 'bonnet rouge' and
national uniform, was at first informed there was
no room for her ; but after a private interview with
the manageress, she was allowed an attic, and here
an hour later Madame de Ginestous joined her. The
Princesse had sent many loving messages, but could
not at present leave the Tuileries, as her every step
was watched ; and Etiennette must on no account
dream of joining her there. When the Queen had
heard of her arrival, she had exclaimed, ' Good
heavens ! don't let her come here : every one will
know she comes from Coblentz, and she will com-
promise me fearfully ' : but later Madame de Ginestous
was able to explain matters more fully to her
Majesty, who listened kindly enough. It was a
strange and dreary return to Paris the gay ; but
being young women and old friends, and, moreover,
both of French blood, the two managed to make Ijhe
best of things, and Madame de Ginestous remained
to a late hour, sitting on the bed, and laughing over
the merry past, and what sorry flashes of humour
she could extract from the melancholy present.

Madame de L%e stayed three days in Paris, and
on the last evening, the 31st, the Princesse managed
to escape observation for a few hours, and came
alone with Madame de Ginestous in a common fiacre

248 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

to visit her at nine o'clock. ' This was probably the
only time in her life,' says Etiennette, ' that she went
out in this way without any servant. She remained
with me late into the night, and it was the last time
I ever saw her.' Very touching was the meeting.
Like every one else at the time, the Princesse thought
Paris the safest place in France, and dreaded that
her 'child' should go alone to Bordeaux : she made
her promise, in case of her mother's death, that she
would return with her children, and hide in the capital
till the worst was over : she would make arrange-
ments for her ; and Etiennette agreed. The Princesse
herself, she says, was not at all afraid ; she said
things were not nearly so bad as they seemed, that
the King had plenty of partisans, but would not
accept succour ; and that she for one had the fullest
faith in his powers of decision. Madame de Ginestous,
who hovered in and out of the room during the con-
versation, was not so hopeful. But at last the visitor
must go, with many tears and embraces, and promises
to write. ' She did indeed write to me,' says Etiennette,
' but her letter was dated the 8 th August, and it did
not reach me until she was already in prison.'

The long, hot days in Paris dragged on, the strain
of anxiety grew tenser, the people more wildly ex-
citable and uncontrolled. After the Federation F^te,
most of the troops had been disbanded as too loyal,
and, except for the Swiss Guards (who were insuflfi-
ciently supplied with cartridges), the Tuileries was

THE EVE OF THE STORM 249

surrounded by National Guards, among them some
of the royal family's fiercest enemies. There were
rumours of an intended attack on the 9th August,
and the defence of the palace was intrusted to M. de
Mandat, an honourable man, who sincerely wished
to carry out his trust efficiently. All day excite-
ment reigned in Paris, and anxiety in the palace ;
but nothing happened before evening. Every loyal
gentleman in the capital — and there were but seven
hundred of them, and those mostly old and infirm
— gathered in the Tuileries to defend the King and
Queen with their lives if need be ; but weapons were
few, and the King would give no orders. The night
was fearfully hot, and the rooms densely crowded
with all these voluntary helpers — the ' knights of the
dagger ' ; every window was open, and suddenly
through the heavy air came the clash and clang of
bells as steeple after steeple broke out into pealing
noise. It was the signal for insurrection.

No one slept that night in the palace, though a
few retired to their rooms and lay down for a while.
At four in the morning Mandat was sent for to the
H6tel de Ville, where the National Assembly had
been sitting all night ; but fearing some treachery,
he gave his son the orders he had received from Potion
before he went. He was right. The entire Govern-
ment had been changed during the night, more
moderate measures withdrawn, the people in the
ascendant, and he was immediately ordered under

250 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

arrest. Before he could be taken to prison, the mob
set upon and murdered him, stripping his body in
search of the orders which they could not find, and
flinging his corpse into the Seine.

Roused by the sound of shots, the Princesse de
Lamballe rose again and sought the Queen, whom she
found with Madame Elizabeth and a few more in the
King's room. The troops having lost their com-
mander, it was doubtful how they would act; and
Louis was urged to go forth and review them himself
in the hopes that their personal loyalty might even
at this eleventh hour be thus aroused. He consented,
but heavily, and with little energy or interest. 'I
have no hope,' the Queen said to her ladies ; but they
followed the King with their eyes as he walked
slowly and silently along the frowning ranks of the
already contemptuous soldiers. Some few cried
faintly, ' Vive le Roi ! ' but white and speechless,
he paid them no attention, and their voices were soon
drowned in the roars of ' Vive la Nation ! ' and the
shouted insults on every side. A few brave ringing
words might have done much even now, but Louis xvr.
was unhappily incapable of them : the sense of drama
was absent from his composition. He returned to the
palace, and shut himself up in his own room. ' We
have lost everything,' said the Queen in despair.

It was now evident that the Tuileries would shortly
be besieged ; and that from the Swiss G-uards and
the loyal gentlemen, all inadequately armed, alone

' NOTHING CAN SAVE US ' 251

was defence to be looked, since the National Guards
had proved themselves foes rather than friends. Two
battalions only, the Filles de St. Thomas and the
Petits Peres, remained faithful, and were hurriedly
sent for ; and soon after six in the morning the Prin-
cesse de Lamballe, accompanied by M. de Clermont
and Madame de Ginestous, went down for the last
time to the Pavilion de Flore, and looked out of her
windows on to the Pont Eoyal in search of them.
The Princesse, broken-hearted at the disastrous re-
sults of that hopeless review, wore sorrowful looks,
and Madame de Ginestous, to cheer her, took her
hand and exclaimed, ' The sun has risen, and let us
hope this is the day of deliverance. See ! there is
the battalion of the Filles de St. Thomas ; they come
to support us, and the King's party is larger than
ever. All will go well, Madame '

' My dear, my dear,' said the Princesse sadly,
' nothing can save us. I believe that we are lost.'

' mon Dieu ! ' cried poor little Madame de
Ginestous, as easily frightened as she was elated, ' do
you then doubt the King's resolve ? Is he no longer
determined to put himself at the head of his party ?
Certainly we are lost if he fails us— — ■'

M. de Clermont, however, broke in, and put courage
into both. He had no doubt of success ; and they
returned to the Queen's salon more hopefully. If
indeed there had been no cause to doubt the King's
resolve, something might yet have been done; but

252 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

he had set his face against bloodshed, and forbade
his defenders to fire a single shot. His principles
were excellent, no doubt, but he might as well have
flourished them in the face of a city full of tigers.
Eoederer, the magistrate of the district, hurried over
to the palace, said that he could not answer for the
temper of the people, and implored the King and
Queen and their children to go straight to the Legis-
lative Assembly close at hand, and take refuge there.
It was tantamount to desertion of all their most
loyal friends, and the Queen cried passionately that
she would be nailed to the wall first. But the King
listened vacantly, at last saying, with a sigh : ' Let
us go,' and she was obliged to obey. 'Will you
answer for the persons of the King and of my son
if we do "? ' she asked Eoederer, and he replied,
' Madame, I will promise to die at your side. I can
do no more.'

The Princesse de Lamballe and Madame de Tourzel
were alone allowed to accompany the royal family :
all others must be left to deadly danger. At seven
o'clock in the morning, the party came out by the
, centre door of the Tuileries, M. de Bachmann, Major
of the Swiss Guards, walking first through two ranks
of his soldiers, M. de Poix at a little distance just
before the King, then the Queen leading the Dauphin,
Madame Eoyale and Madame Elizabeth arm-in-arm,
Madame de Lamballe and Madame de Tourzel last.
The Dauphin was kicking up the dead leaves as he

THE KING LEAVES THE TUILERIES 253

went : they had fallen early that year. * I was in
the garden/ says M. de la Rochefoucauld, one of the
loyal gentlemen, ' near enough to offer my arm to
Madame la Princesse de Lamballe, who was the most
dejected and frightened of the party ; she took it.
The King walked erect ... the Queen was in
tears ; from time to time she wiped them away and
strove to take a confident air, which she kept for a
little while, but I felt her tremble. The Dauphin
was not much frightened. Madame Elizabeth was
calm and resigned, religion inspired her. . . . The
little Madame wept softly. Madame la Princesse de
Lamballe said to me, " We shall never return to the
Chateau." '

It was but a short walk to the Legislative Assembly,
but so dense and fierce were the crowds that it was
with difiiculty a way was made for the mournful
little procession, and during this brief time the Queen's
pocket was picked of her purse and handkerchief Nor
were they warmly received when the hall was at last
reached ; some of the deputies opposed their admission,
and for half an hour they waited in a little dark,
narrow passage while the wrangle was fought out ;
the howls of the mob so close that Madame Royale
said long afterwards, she had never felt death more
near than at that moment. At length they were
permitted to enter: the King in a loud voice
announced that he had come to seek protection for
himself and his family, and to prevent the French

254 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

people from committing a fearful crime : and they
were provided with seats close to Vergniaud, the
President for the day. Almost immediately, a fresh
squabble was started, as to whether the King might
legally be present at the counsels of the Assembly,
and this difficulty was only surmounted by the whole
party being removed to the Loge de Logographe, a
reporter's gallery or box, just behind the President's
chair. This box was built to hold seven or eight
people round a table ; it was low, small, and insuffer-
ably hot, the only air being obtained through a barred
grille from the already heated atmosphere of the
Assembly Hall ; but the family were only too thank-
ful to find seats and comparative refuge from clamour
for a time. The Queen's thin slippers were worn
through to holes, and all the ladies were trembling
and exhausted.

The people were still so infuriated against the
royal family that it was feared an attack might be
made on the Loge, in which case it was necessary
that the iron bars of the grille should be removed, to
enable the fugitives to precipitate themselves into the
midst of the Assembly as their last refuge. No work-
men were forthcoming, so four of the Ministers and
the King himself took off their coats, and wrenched
the bars out with their own hands : not the first time
the King had performed a like service for his wife.
It was hot work to-day, however, and when he sat
down again he asked for a handkerchief to wipe his

IN THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 255

forehead. Not one could be found for him without a
stain of blood upon it.

The attack on the Tuileries had begun already :
cannon roared just outside ; bullets rattled on the
roof, and even crashed through the windows ; not a
word could be heard through the deafening tumult.
Several members rose and changed their seats, fearful
of being struck, till called to order by the President :
the King then said he had forbidden the Swiss to
fire, and sent another message commanding them not
to do so. A deadly silence followed ; the gallant
Swiss had obeyed to the death, and were simply being
mowed down without resistance. A few of them,
bleeding and dishevelled, were dragged into the
Assembly, and at first it seemed as if they would be
slain before the very eyes of the sovereigns who had
deserted them ; but La Croix protected them, de-
manded that they should be tried by court-martial,
and they were bidden to take seats. In a short time
people rushed into the hall, dragging the booty they
had looted from the Palace ; pictures, mirrors, dresses,
books, jewellery, statues : some even flung upon the
floor fragments of the Host which they had stolen
from neighbouring churches. It was no wonder that
the Queen hid her face, and the Princesse de Lam-
balle sank fainting to the ground. A little fruit and
water was brought to the Loge, and the King ate a
peach, but the others could take nothing.

Madame de Lamballe became so ill that it was

256 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

found necessary to remove her for a few hours to the
adjacent deserted Convent of the Feuillants, and the
Queen implored her not to return, since she could but
share unnecessary misery, and would do far better to
travel straight to M. de Penthievre at Anet. They
seem to have thought it would have been quite easy
for her to do this, but it is very improbable if it
would have been permitted ; she refused, however, to
listen to the proposal, though admitting to Madame
de Tourzel later that, had she suffered after her swoon
in the way that was usual to her, she would have gone,
knowing she could be of no use, and only a great
anxiety to her friend ; but that, strangely enough, she
recovered in the most rapid manner possible, and was
able to return to the Loge in a little over two hours.
The sitting of the Assembly closed with the deposi-
tion of the King, the dismissal of his Ministers, and
the withdrawal of the civil list, to all of which Louis
listened stolidly, without a spark of interest in his
face. It being not yet decided what was to be done
with the royal family, a few cells in the Convent
were hastily prepared for their use, and late in the
evening, after fifteen hours in the stifling Loge,
they were conveyed thither. The next morning,
to their great joy, some of the friends they had
left at the Tuileries and feared were dead, came
to join them, and these were able to tell what had
occurred after their departure. The Queen's ladies
had gathered together in her room, the Princesse de

WHAT PASSED IN THE PALACE 257

Tarente at their head ; and there they waited in
momentary expectation of death, while the palace
was attacked and overwhelmed. When at last the
mob broke in upon them, poor Madame de Ginestous,
excitable as ever, suddenly lost her head, and flinging
herself upon her knees, shrieked for mercy ; while
the other ladies, indignant at her weakness, tried to
calm her ; and the Princesse de Tarente, with entire
composure, turned to the young Marseillais who led
the rioters, and remarked : ' This poor lady is, as you
see, hysterical : will you kindly see her to a place of
safety 1 And this young girl also,' indicating Pauline
de Tourzel, ' I confide to your honour ; kill me if you
will, but treat her with respect.'

Surprised at such calmness, the Marseillais muttered

only : ' We do not fight with women ; go, all of you,

if you choose ' ; and they were passed safely out.

Madame de Ginestous went straight to Madame de

Spinola, the Genovese Ambassadress, and remained

with her for some time ; the Princesse de Tarente

went home, but was re-arrested later on ; Madame

Campan rejoined the Queen, and with her came

Pauline, the sixteen-year-old daughter of Madame de

Tourzel, to leave whom had been the bitterest of the

royal Governess's duties. Clery, the King's valet,

came too ; and Mdlle. Mertins, the devoted first

femme de chambre of the Princesse de Lamballe,

bringing with her all the money she could scrape

together for the use of her mistress. The Princesse

R

258 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

divided this carefully into three portions, keeping one
for herself, and giving the others to the King and
Madame Elizabeth, in case the party should be
separated. Mertins was of the greatest service, not
only to her own mistress, but to the other royal ladies
too : the Princesse and Madame Elizabeth shared a
mattress, and the faithful woman lay at their feet.
The door into the next room was left open, and here
the Queen and Dauphin slept. So destitute was the
royal family since their flight that they possessed
only the clothes they wore : the King slept with a
napkin tied round his head for lack of a nightcap ;
and Marie Antoinette was deeply grateful to the
English Ambassadress, who had a little boy about
the Dauphin's age, for sending her some change of
linen for his use.

For three days these most unhappy people lived in
the deserted cells of the Convent, being conveyed
every morning by a strong guard to the Loge in the
Assembly hall, where they spent the time listening to
the stormy debates, and sometimes in writing to their
friends ; the Due de Penthievre received letters from
his daughter-in-law dated from here. On Monday
the 13 th August, however, it was decided it would be
wiser to remove them to some place of safe-keeping.
The Luxembourg was first thought of, but finally
choice fell upon the Temple, that palace Marie
Antoinette had always hated even in her happiest
hours ; and at half-past six carriages came to drive

TO THE TEMPLE 259

them through Paris to their destination. The people
knew what had been settled, and every street was
filled with a fierce and surging mob ; two and a half
hours were passed fighting a slow way through them.
In the Place Vendome the procession was wilfully
halted for a time, that the deposed King might see
the statue of his predecessor Louis xiv. tumbled to
the ground, and hear the savage comment of Manuel,
Procureur of Paris, riding by the side of the carriage :
' See, sire ! that is how the people treat their kings ! '
A speech to which poor forgiving Louis, good man but
feeble ruler, replied only, 'May G-od be willing that
their rage be vented only upon senseless objects ! ' In
spite of all the sorrows and humiliations she had
borne, Marie Antoinette wore proud and royal looks
still ; and Potion rode up to her, angrily commanding
her not to look so haughty, at which she dropped her
eyes, and never lifted them again during the drive.

At nightfall the Temple was reached at last, bril-
liantly illuminated in honour of the people's victory ;
yet never perhaps had the Queen been so glad to
pass beneath its doors and escape from the yeUing
mob without.

260 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

CHAPTER XVIII

1792

The palace of the Temple consisted of a great tower
and a little tower, in the latter of which only the
royal family were to be confined. On every floor
were but two small rooms with a passage room
between, and one of these floors was apportioned to
the Queen, the Dauphin, and Madame de Lamballe.
Everything was exceedingly uncomfortable, and most
of the attendants had been forbidden to accompany
them : the Queen had a few waiting- women still, but
Madame Camp an had been taken from her, and the
faithful Mertins had not been allowed to follow her
mistress. The prisoners were strictly forbidden to
correspond with any one outside the Temple, but
they contrived nevertheless to do it ; and the Prin-
cesse wrote every day to Mertins, and through her to
the Due de Penthievre : also to Madame de Ginestous,
who was still in Paris, and anxious to share her Prin-
cesse's imprisonment if she would permit her to do
so. Emotional though she was, the little Genovese
had a warm and loyal heart, and would gladly have
sacrificed her safety to her duty ; but the Princesse

THREATS OF SEPARATION 261

assured her it would be of no use, and bade her remain
in hiding. She wrote too to the Princesse de Tarente,
and a letter that lady received from her was dis-
covered and made the cause of a strict examination of
both. It ran : ' I have read to the bravest of friends
your letter, my dear little one, and she bids me assure
you of her friendship. We think of you. Send me,
I beg you, a chemise ; for two days I have not
undressed. I embrace you with all my heart.' Both
declared this to have been written from the Loge, but
the Assembly pronounced it absurd, for the Princesse
could not possibly have required a chemise in the
Loge ; yet since the Queen was very glad to receive
linen for herself and her son at that time, it does not
seem so very improbable that the Princesse should
have done so too.

They had hardly settled into the Temple four days
before municipal officers visited them, and hinted
that the party was too crowded, and some of them
had best be moved. On the evening of the 19th,
after the ladies had retired to bed, the officers came
again, and bade all those who were not actually of
the royal family rise, dress, and be carried to the
Commune for interrogation. These were Hue and
Chamilly, the King's attendants ; Mesdames Thibaut,
Navarre, and St. Brice, the Queen's women ; Madame
de, Tourzel and her daughter, and the Princesse de
Lamballe. The Queen came into her friend's room
and protested violently against her removal, declar-

262 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

ing her to be a member of the family, as was in a
certain sense true ; but the officers refused to listen,
though at the same time assuring the Queen that all
her friends should return safely on the morrow, after
their interrogation. None of them could very well
believe this, and 'it was with difficulty,' wrote
Madame Eoyale in her Memoires afterwards, ' that
my mother could tear herself from the arms of the
Princesse de Lamballe.' She took Madame de Tourzei
aside, and whispered to her in an agitated voice : ' If
we are not happy enough to see you again, take
great care of Madame la Princesse de Lamballe ; in
all awkward positions speak for her, and avoid as
much as possible that she should have to answer
captious and embarrassing questions.'

The Princesse herself said little. She seems to
have known very well that now at last she was to
pay the price she had reckoned with for her friend-
ship, and that she would never see Marie Antoinette
again. She fell upon her knees, and kissed the
Queen's hands with passionate tears, nor would she
rise till the guards dragged her roughly to her feet,
and tore her away, declaring that such conduct
might be suitable perhaps between slaves and tyrants,
but should not be seen in a free nation and an equal
people. The King, roused by the noise, came and
stared at what was going on, but made no comment ;
poor, inarticulate Louis having said all of moment
that he was destined to say until the coming of his

PARTING FROM THE QUEEN 263

own hour. Madame Elizabeth and the children bade

sad farewells ; and so, save for one brief and terrible

glimpse, the Princesse de Lamballe passed out of the

life of the royal family she had loved so well.

What followed has been told in the fullest detail

by Madame de Tourzel, who was with the Princesse

almost to the end. The prisoners were hurried

through long and gloomy passages by the light of

torches, till they reached the door, where three

fiacres awaited them. The Princesse, Madame de

Tourzel, and Pauline entered the first, the Queen's

three women the second, and Hue and Chamilly

the third ; and so they were driven to the H6tel de

Ville, where they alighted at a ' horrid little criminal's

door ' ; and each of them was seized between two

soldiers and marched to the great salon, where they

were separately interrogated before Billaud Varennes.

The place was crowded to sufi'ocation with the lowest

class of people, delays were endless, and when the

interrogation at last took place, the only charge that

could be brought against any of them was that of

' secret correspondence.' Madame de Lamballe, as

the most important of the prisoners, was examined

last, and three o'clock in the morning had struck

before her name was called. Her interrogation was

very short and puerile, and ran as follows : —

' What are your names ? '
' Marie-Ther^se-Louise de Savoie-Carignan.'
' What secret information had you on the day of the 10th
August ? '

264 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

' None.'

' Where did you pass the day 1 '

'As a relation, I followed the King to the National
Assembly.'

' Did you sleep during the night before ? '

'No.'

' Where were you then ? '

' In my apartment in the Chateau.'

' Did you not see the King during the night ? '

' Hearing a noise, I went to his room about one in the
morning.'

' You must have known the people had risen ? '

' I learnt it from hearing the tocsin.'

' Did you see the Swiss and National Guards who spent
the night on the terrace ? '

' I went to my window, but saw no one.'

' Was the King in his room when you went there ? '

' Many people were there, but not the King.'

'Did you know that the Mayor of Paris was in the
Tuileries ? '

' I heard that he had come.'

' At what time did the King go to the National Assembly ? '

' About seven o'clock.'

' Did he not first review the troops ? '

' Yes.'

' Do you know the oath that was tendered to them ? '

' I did not hear there was any oath.'

' Did you know there were guns, pointed and loaded, in
the rooms ? '

'No.'

'Did you see M. Mandat and M. d' Affray in the
Chateau?'

'No.'

' Do you know the secret doors of the Tuileries ? '

' I do not know them.'

' Have you not, while at the Temple, written and received
letters which you have tried to pass in a furtive manner ? '

THE PRINCESSE INTERROGATED 265

' I have never received or written any but those which
passed through the hands of the municipal officers.'

' Do you know anything of a piece of furniture made for
Madame Elizabeth ? '

'No.'

' Have you not, from time to time, received devotional
books ? '

'No.'

' What books have you at the Temple ? '

' I have none.'

' Do you know of a locked staircase ? '

'No.'

' What general officers did you see at the Tuileries on the
night of the 9th-10th?'

' I saw no general officers : I only saw M. Eoederer.'

When this was finished, the Princesse was permitted
to join the other prisoners in the cabinet of Tallien,
where they remained, between hope and fear, till
about midday. A secretary, passing through the
room, moved by their state, promised to see if he
could obtain permission for them to return to the
Temple ; but after being absent for a long time, he
came back, merely shook his head sadly, and went
away. Taking Madame de Tourzel's hand, the Prin-
cesse said, ' I hope at least that we shall not be sepa-
rated.' It was at this time she told her friend how
she would have obeyed the Queen, and gone to her
father-in-law from the Loge, and thence to England,
if she had not recovered so quickly from her swoon.
The old Due meanwhile sent couriers every hour for
news of her, and had already offered half his fortune
for her safety.

266 THE PEINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

About noon this day, Sunday, a decision was at
last arrived at concerning the prisoners ; and Hue
was permitted to return to his master, though only
for a very brief period ; while all the rest were
informed they would be taken to the prison of La
Force. Procureur Manuel it was who, for some
sinister reason of his own, had decided upon this
prison, while others had been more in favour of the
Abbaye. Some one doubted if there were room at
La Force, to which Manuel exclaimed, ' Is there not
always room for ladies among so gallant a nation as
the French ? ' and the cheap witticism won applause
from a capricious and volatile public ; so to La Force
the ladies went. This building, long since pulled
down, was originally erected on part of the old Hotel
de Brienne, and consisted of two parts : the Grande
Force, a prison for men, and the Petite Force, a
house of correction for women of the vilest class. It
was to this last that these gently nurtured ladies
were driven through crowded and riotous streets in
the blazing noon of an August day, while insults were
screamed at them on every side ; but thirteen hours
had passed since they had had food or sleep, and they
were almost too exhausted to care for any of these
things. Nevertheless, Madame de Tourzel, who had
been no particular intimate of the Princesse before,
insists upon her truly marvellous courage and com-
posure now. At last the entrance to the prison was
reached, in the Kue des Ballets, and here the tired

AN OMINOUS ENTRY 267

women must sit in the council-chamber while their
names were entered in the prison register. That
register, says M. de Beauchesne, is still kept in the
archives of the Prefecture of Police, and a curious
detail is to be noted in it. The name of ' Marie-
Therese- Louise de Savoye-Garignan de Bourbon-
Lamballe ' is underlined, as though already some special
intention were arrived at with regard to her fate.

Frangois, the young jailer to whose charge they
were given, was obliged to fulfil his orders and confine
all in separate rooms, but showed otherwise that his
sympathies were entirely with them. He was par-
ticularly sorry for Pauline on account of her youth,
and lent her a little spaniel for company during the
night. Madame de Tourzel, however, would not be
comforted. Her own dungeon proved damp and
horrible, and a few hours in it brought on a violent
attack of rheumatism and a bad cold ; nevertheless,
it contained a second bed, and she never ceased
her prayers that Pauline might be restored to her.
Frangois himself could do nothing, but brought
Manuel ; a curious creature, savage Republican by
principle, but swayed in a moment by beauty or
pleading looks, and open also to bribes. The en-
treaties of the unhappy mother moved him to fetch
her daughter ; and when he saw their joy at being
together again, he hurried away and brought Madame
de Lamballe too.

The happiness of these three ladies at meeting once

268 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

more was intense : the Princesse had never passed a
night alone before, and her delicate constitution, and
the constant nervous attacks to which she was subject,
gave her a real dread of the lonely hours. Seeing
the extra bed in Madame de Tourzel's cell, she begged
to be allowed to occupy it ; or Pauline offered, as an
alternative, if she were permitted, to return with the
Princesse and keep her company in her own cell ; but
Manuel interposed, promising they should all be
moved together to Madame de Lamballe's room early
the next morning, that being much the best and
largest of the three. This promise was kept ; and the
prisoners were also permitted to write to the Temple
for such of their effects as had been left behind.

The officials who carried their requests were sur-
prised at the quickness and neatness with which the
King and Queen packed up all they could think of
that might be useful to their friends : Princesse
Elizabeth sent a dress of her own for Pauline, and the
Queen enclosed a roll of English flannel for warmth
and covering. The box arrived safely at La Force,
and its contents proved very welcome. All day,
and for many days after, the three women talked
and hoped together. ' We tried,' writes Madame de
Tourzel, ' to make our situation less painful during
this period by portioning out our time in different
occupations, such as the care of our room, needlework,
and reading. Our thoughts always turned towards
the Temple, and we indulged ourselves sometimes in

PRISON 269

the hope that the foreign party would raaster our
persecutors, would take the King for mediator, and
that we should emerge safe and sound from prison
to find ourselves with the royal family once more.
Madame la Princesse de Lamballe was perfect in this
sad situation, so sweet, good, and obliging ; she did
us all the little services in her power. Pauline and I
were constantly occupied with her, and we had at
least the consolation in our sorrow to have but one
heart and soul between us. This good Princesse
begged me to speak frankly with her, and on my
saying to her that after such noble conduct as hers
she ought not to permit herself little childishnesses,
which did her wrong, and should on the contrary now
commence a new life, she replied gently that she had
already formed that resolution, as well as to adhere
more faithfully to her religious principles, which she
had of late a little neglected. She took Pauline into
her friendship, and said daily the kindest things con-
cerning the pleasure she felt in having us near her.
It was impossible not to feel for her a veritable
attachment. . . . The poor Princesse de Lamballe
supported this cruel life with admirable patience and
sweetness, and by a strange chance her health became
fortified during the sad time. She had no more
nervous attacks, and said she had not felt so well for
long.' At this same moment Madame de Bufibn, the
Due d'Orl^ans' mistress for the time, was writing
carelessly to Lauzun at Coblentz : ' The ci-devant

270 THE PKINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

Princesse de Lamballe is without a maid and has to
look after herself. For a person who affects to feel
ill before a lobster in a picture this must be a rude
position. I went yesterday to the Opera,' etc.

The prisoners asked often for news of the Queen,
but were told nothing ; till at last they worked upon
Manuel himself to give them tidings. ' I do not like
kings, and will not speak of them,' he said at first ;
but when they exclaimed, ' Ah, but we love ours ; for
we are his servants and have lived with his family,
and it is only natural we should be most anxious to
hear about him,' he admitted they had reason for
their desire, and told them the royal family were
still at the Temple and in perfectly good health. He
even gave Madame de Lamballe a letter from the
Due de Penthievre, authorised all three to write
letters and receive answers, and gave them permission
to walk in the prison courtyard every evening for an
hour. This last relaxation they prized greatly, and
the change and air, such as it was, proved of immense
value. The Princesse, who had never before been
able to bear Paris later than July, was thankful now
for an hour between four walls under the open sky on
an August evening. As they were walking here one
day, a carriage drove up with a fresh prisoner, Madame
de Septeuil, the wife of the King's first valet. They
ran forward to ask for news, but were disgusted to
find the lady quite indifferent to the Queen's fate, or
that of anybody but herself ; and merely delighted to

INCIDENTS OF PRISON LIFE 271

see them because she hoped to share their room, and
pass her imprisonment in such distinguished com-
pany. The Princesse took Frangois aside and begged
him not to permit this, and they were consequently
left undisturbed.

The days did not, however, pass without incident,
and the prisoners were obliged to be constantly upon
their guard. La Force was full of the vilest people ;
bad songs and language rang in the ears day and
night, and it was difficult to obtain a moment's repose.
One morning a strange man entered, announcing him-
self as a friend who had been sent by the Princesse
de Tarente, now a prisoner at the Abbaye. He asked
them many questions, to which they returned prudent
and evasive answers, distrusting his looks, and he
then went away and never returned. Another time
Colonges, a jailer from another part of the prison,
brought them a pile of coarse linen, with the remark,
' It is the custom, ladies, for prisoners to work, so I
bring you some shirts to make for our brothers-in-
arms ; you are of course too good patriots not to work
at them with pleasure.' ' Anything useful to our com-
patriots will never be rejected by us,' said the Prin-
cesse mildly ; and the ladies did indeed work at the
hard stuff, and were perhaps not altogether sorry for
the occupation, till Manuel came in and saw them at
it, and angrily bade the whole be taken away. There
is a rumour that the beauty and gentleness of Madame
de Lamballe had so worked upon his imagination.

272 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

that, fortified by the bribes of her father-in-law, he
had -determined, when the moment came, to save her
if he could, spite of that ominous line beneath her
name in the register. Francois, too, fast grew devoted
to his noble charges, and often promised to help them
escape if the Parisians should rise.

That fear lest Paris might rise became, in fact, a
very imminent one during these last sinister days of
August. There were too many masters in the city ;
no one knew whose authority was to be obeyed, and
the autocrat of to-day might be the hunted fugitive of
to-morrow. The prisons were crammed thick with
aristocrats and clergy, helpless victims at the mercy
of the people ; and the jailers in charge had no means
of standing siege should the many-headed choose to
sweep them aside and hack down what they guarded.
Fresh defeats in the field drove the people of Paris
mad ; they must avenge themselves upon the prey
nearest, and fears became a certainty in the first
week of September. The prisoners were, perhaps
wisely, kept ignorant of what was dreaded, since
their position was frightful enough as it stood ; but
beyond their walls dreadful rumours were spread.
The Due de Penthievre redoubled his efibrts to save
his beloved child ; agents of his had followed her to
the Hotel de Ville, and were now hanging about out-
side La Force ; every one who could be bribed had
money; no stone was left unturned. It is extra-
ordinary that in the venal state of France at that

PAULINE IS CALLED AWAY 273

time all this did not yet serve to rescue her ; but
very plainly some strong party insisted upon her
death.

On the morning of Sunday, the 2nd September,
Frangois hurriedly entered the apartment of the
three ladies to tell them their usual recreation would
not be possible that evening ; the town was excited
and upset concerning the foreign enemies, and no
prisoners must leave their rooms. Having said this
he went away, and did not return all day. The
women were slightly alarmed, but all remained so
quiet inside the prison that they did not attach much
importance to the incident ; and having prayed and
kissed one another, went to bed as usual. Scarcely
asleep, they were again aroused by a strange man,
who glided mysteriously into the room and gave the
peremptory order, ' Mademoiselle de Tourzel, dress
yourself at once and follow me.'

The terrified Marquise found voice to exclaim,
'What are you going to do with my daughter?' to
which she received reply, ' Nothing to do with you,
Madame ; let her dress and come.' ' You must obey,
Pauline, and may heaven protect you ! ' sobbed the
poor lady ; but she was too unnerved for more, and
it was the Princesse de Lamballe who rose from bed,
and helped the frightened girl to dress with reassur-
ing words. The man stood in a corner of the room
all the while, exclaiming, 'Hurry! Hurry!' and
when poor Pauline at the last ran to her mother

274 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

for a final embrace, he seized her arm and hurried her
impatiently away. The door clanged after her, and
' when I recovered from my first stupefaction,' writes
the Marquise, ' I rose and threw myself on my knees,
imploring the goodness of God for my dear Pauline,
and asking Him for courage and resignation for her
and me. I rose with a little more strength. I then
thanked Madame de Lamballe for all her goodness to
me and my daughter. It would be impossible to be
more perfect than she was to us during this sad night,
or to show more sense and courage. She took pos-
session of Pauline's pockets, burned all papers and
letters she found, that nothing might compromise her,
and was watching constantly to listen if she could
hear anything that might give us some knowledge of
her fate. Then she came back to the bed, reproach-
ing me with a perfect kindness for letting weakness
replace the courage she had always known, to which
I could but reply, " Ah, dear Princesse, but you are
not a mother ! " I begged her to take a little repose,
and she did so, sleeping for some hours a most tran-
quil sleep. I threw myself on the bed, entirely
dressed, and in the most violent state. Pauline
occupied all my thoughts. I could not read or do
anything but repeat, "My God ! Have pity on my
dear PauHne, and give us grace to resign ourselves to
Thy holy will ! " '

Unknown to the prisoners, since the preceding
afternoon, what was later called 'The Hundred

PAULINE'S ADVENTURES 275

Hours ' had begun to rage in Paris, a period in-
credible in blood and horror, when the men — and
women — of France turned wolves and tigers, falling
upon defenceless prisoners to hack and slay and
mutilate. The September massacres started among
the priests at the Abbaye, and next the mob stormed
on to La Force, demanding that its captives should
be brought one by one before the horrible mock
tribunal there set up. When Pauline was taken from
her mother's room, her mysterious guide hurried her
downstairs, listening carefully as they went for any
sound. At one time he fancied he heard voices, and
seeming alarmed, he made the young girl go back a
few steps, pushed her in at a door, and locked it
after her. She found herself in a small cell, with a
candle just guttering out upon the floor ; a moment
later it was extinguished, and she remained alone in
darkness and terror for about half an hour. At last
she heard rather than saw the door open softly, a
voice called her name very low, and another man
entered with a small lantern. He bade her come
quietly downstairs, showed her into another room,
gave her a bundle, telling her to put on what it con-
tained, and then left her. By this time she had
recognised him as one who had spoken to her and
shown some interest in her fate at the time of her
interrogation ; she had then thought it a mere im-
pertinence, but was soon to find him the best of
friends, both to her mother and herself. This man's

276 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

name was Jean Hardi, and he was a member of the
Commune. Pauline was so frightened and bewildered,
still not knowing whether her new guide were a friend
or not, that she remained stupefied for some minutes,
till Hardi looked in again to see if she were ready.
' What ! not yet dressed ! ' he exclaimed. ' Your life
is in great danger if you do not come quickly.' She
then opened the bundle, which contained the dress of
a peasant, fortunately of such large size that she was
able to slip it over her own clothes ; and so soon as
she had done so her would-be deliverer took her arm
and led her out of the prison by a door opening on
the Rue de Sicile. It was now about midnight, and
a brilliant moon shone in the sky, making everything
as clear as day. An immense crowd stood outside
the prison, and immediately the two were seen
to emerge, hoarse cries were raised of ' Here is a
prisoner being saved ! ' and they were at once sur-
rounded by threatening ruffians. M. Hardi shouted
that this was not a prisoner ; that circumstances had
taken her to La Force, and he was charged to see her
safely removed ; that he was a member of the Com-
mune (of which he showed the badge), and therefore
to be trusted ; that Frenchmen would never permit
the innocent to suffer with the guilty, and more to
the same effect ; until, although some still cried out
that they recognised her as Mademoiselle de Tourzel,
and had often seen her with the Dauphin, Hardi was
at last suffered to take her away.

PAULINE'S FRIEND 277

They went on foot through several streets, but so
many times did Pauline appear to be recognised,
that her guide left her in a dark little court for half
an hour, and went away to reconnoitre. He came
back with a fresh disguise, that of a man, into
which he bade her change, but this she flatly refused,
giving as an excuse that he had brought no hat or
shoes for it ; and he then said he wished to take her
to his own house, but in order to reach it they must
either go back by the prison, or else through the
church of the Petit St. Antoine, which was filled
with the infuriated mob ; both courses being equally
dangerous. Pauline chose the church, and by his
instructions, crept into it on her hands and knees,
and managed to conceal herself behind a broken
altar in a dark little chapel : here she remained for
some time, praying and resting, till, at about nine
o'clock in the morning, Hardi fetched her safely to
his own home. Her adventures, however, were not
yet over. ■ She was seen to enter the house, which
was immediately watched, and in terror lest it should
be searched and she still taken, a few hours later her
host brought her a large hat and veil, and gave her
careful instructions what she was to do. ' Go out
alone,' he said : 'turn to the right, then take the
first turning to the left, which will lead you to a
little place where three roads meet ; take the centre
one and follow it tUl you reach a fountain : near this
you will find a passage leading to a wide road, and

278 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

in the road a fiacre will be waiting close to an alley.
You must hide in this alley till I come ; but what-
ever happens, do not forget these directions.' She
promised to remember, but once in the street, was so
bewildered that she turned to the left first. Happen-
ing, however, to glance up at the window, she saw her
guide frantically signalling in the opposite direction,
and once started right, she remembered the whole,
and reached the alley safely. Here she had to wait
for a very long time, till Hardi and another man,
whom she recognised as Billaud Varennes, who had
presided at her interrogation, joined her ; and to-
gether they all got into the fiacre, telling her they
were going to the house of Danton. Arrived here,
they left her in the fiacre, and went in themselves ;
and in a very few minutes emerged again and greeted
her with the words, ' You are saved ! ' They then
asked her where she would like to go, and she sug-
gested the house of Madame de L^de, an aged
relative of hers, where finally, after some discussion,
she was safely taken ; but before taking a grateful
leave of Hardi, she burst into tears, and implored
him to do what he could to save her mother. He
appeared somewhat embarrassed, but promised to
do his best, though pointing out that it was
now three in the afternoon, and for some hours
he had not been able to attend to any but Pauline's
affairs.

Meanwhile, after the terrible night spent by the

MORNING IN THE PRISON 279

ladies in La Force, they were roused at six o'clock in
the morning by Frangois, who looked in to warn
them that their room was to be visited ; and almost
immediately six men, grimly armed, came in, stared
very hard at them, asked their names, and went
away again. The last ominously raised his eyes and
hands to heaven as he went, but fortunately the
Princesse did not perceive this, and Madame de
Tourzel, who was very much alarmed, did not tell
her. So soon as they were gone, however, she said :
' This day opens, dear Princesse, in a very stormy
manner. We do not know what heaven has in store
for us ; let us therefore reconcile ourselves to God,
and ask pardon for our faults, say a Miserere and a
Confiteor, make an act of contrition, and recommend
ourselves to His goodness.' This they did together.
By now the fierce howls of the mob, surging outside
the prison, penetrated even to that remote chamber ;
and Madame de Lamballe, pushing her bed under
the window, was able to climb up to the window-sill
and see something of the horrible crowd below.
Almost immediately, however, she was recognised,
and stones aimed at her : one struck her on the
cheek, and she was obliged to retire. Already,
though she did not know or hear it, a vile pamphlet
was being cried and sold in the streets under the
title of ' The Last Testament of the ci-devant Prin-
cesse de Lamballe,' filled with mock confessions and
accusations against Marie Antoinette of the most

280 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

horrible nature ; another proof how fully deter-
mined it was that the unhappy lady was to die that
day.

Opening the inner windows on to the prison court-
yard, the two women were struck with the curious
contrast of intense quiet. They intended to ask
Frangois the meaning of all this when he brought
their breakfast, but he never came ; so they took out
their needlework, and sat tranquilly down to it.
About eleven, more armed men entered, and de-
manded that Madame de Lamballe should follow
them. Madame de Tourzel refused to leave her, and
permission being accorded, the two went out together
into the passage. They were told to sit down on the
stairs until the other women in the prison were
assembled ; and having had nothing to eat since the
preceding night, asked for food, and were given
some bread and wine. Little inclined for it, they
nevertheless ate and drank, foreseeing the calls to be
made upon their strength and endurance ; and shortly
after they were ordered to descend into the court.
The place was crowded with brutal and drunken
men, the air thick with foul words : when the
Princesse was seen, she was greeted with the vilest
and most insulting vociferations. For the first time
since her imprisonment she became giddy and
almost fainted, but forcing herself to keep up, com-
manded respect even from that crowd by her quiet
dignity, and withdrew to a corner of the courtyard

THE COURTYARD OF LA FORCE 281

with Madame de Tourzel. The Queen's women were
also here.

The noise and turmoil were horrible, and the
ladies were obliged to wait in this situation for some
time. It was during this period that Frangois Gabriel,
a young artist, much struck by the beautiful head of
the ill-fated Princesse, made, without her knowledge,
a hasty sketch of her with a bit of lead-pencil and a
few crumbs of bread he found in his pocket. Later,
he improved the tiny portrait at home, and a print
of it was lately presented to the Louvre by M.
Cl^menceau.

The men in the courtyard entered freely into con-
versation with their prisoners, questioned them about
their life and friends, and loudly criticised their
conduct. They were very angry with Madame de
Tourzel for wearing a ring on which was inscribed
her oath of faithfulness to her royal charges, and
wished her to throw it away ; but she would only
consent to put it in her pocket. This seems, how-
ever, ultimately to have won their respect. Madame
de Lamballe was also questioned by these creatures ;
and Madame de Tourzel writes : ' I never quitted the
poor Princesse de Lamballe for an instant all the
time she was in the court ; and we were seated side
by side when they came to fetch her to be conducted
to that ghastly tribunal. We pressed hands for the
last time, and I can certify that she showed great
courage and presence of mind, replying without

282 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

trouble to all questions asked her by those monsters,
who mingled among us in order to contemplate their
victims before condemning them to death : and I
know positively since that she showed the same
courage in the interrogation which preceded her sad
end.'

After the Princesse had been removed, Madame de
Tourzel still remained for some time in the court-
yard, and this delay probably saved her life. She
noticed one man, taller and better-looking than the
rest, regarding her fixedly without speaking; pre-
sently he passed close by her, and said in a low voice
as he did so, 'Your daughter is saved.' The poor
mother's thankfulness at these words may be
imagined, and her own trial now seemed to her of
little consequence ; but she had in fact unknown
friends who were determined to deliver her from
her terrible predicament. When, some hours later,
she was in her turn brought before the tribunal,
Jean Hardi and eight stout comrades were at hand
to crowd around her, shout down the charges of her
accusers, and bear her off in triumph to a fiacre
they had in waiting. That same afternoon she was
happily reunited to her beloved Pauline at the house
of Madame de Lede.

CONFLICTING STORIES 283

CHAPTER XIX

SEPTEMBER 3, 1792

Many French writers, followed by Carlyle, have
given a rather different version of the calling of
Madame de Lamballe before the Revolutionary
tribunal. She was lying down alone in her room,
they say, when a man entered, and commanded her
to rise, saying she was to be taken to the Abbaye.
She replied that she was well enough where she was,
and did not wish to go to the Abbaye ; and on the
command being repeated, tried to gain time by plead-
ing that she must arrange her dress first. This
request was not granted, and she was immediately
dragged, half fainting, before her judges. Perhaps
the version arose out of another story, that M. de
Penthievre had warned her not to leave her cell upon
any pretext, since a plot was on foot to open every
door and cry out ' Lihre ! Libre ! ' and then to mas-
sacre all the prisoners as they emerged ; but there is
no real proof of any such intention. So great a
vagueness hangs about all the last hours of the Prin-
cesse that it is certainly wiser to accept Madame de

284 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

Tourzel's story so long as the two ladies remained
together.

It will be remembered that all women were con-
fined in the Petite Force, but the improvised tribunal
was held in the room of the concierge in the Grande
Force ; and the Princesse, immediately upon leaving
her friend, was taken across there. The tribunal
consisted of six or seven judges, mostly emissaries
of the Commune, a public accuser, and a President,
frequently changed, but who at this moment hap-
pened to be the notorious Hebert. The proceedings
were in all cases summary. A few hasty questions
were asked of each prisoner, whose sentence had
almost always been decided beforehand ; if the
President pronounced the words ' Conduct him to the
Abbaye,' or 'Let him go,' it meant death; if, on
the contrary, the verdict was ' Vive la nation,' he
was embraced, and permitted to depart. Contrary to
the usual belief, a great many prisoners were ac-
quitted, chiefly women, of whom, it is said, over two
hundred were saved and only two killed in these
September massacres ; the church of SS. Paul and
Louis, opposite La Force, and the Petit St. Antoine
alongside, were known as 'les depdts des innocents,'
for here the acquitted were permitted to take refuge.
A terrible refuge it must have been, with the shrieks
of the murdered and the fearful wild-beast cries of
the murderers ringing without ; the wonder is that
any lived through to tell the tale. For those un-

BEFORE THE TRIBUNAL 285

fortunates who were doomed to death a more hor-
rible scene still was set. They were brought out
from the concierge's room into the yard fronting the
Eue des Ballets, which literally swam with blood ;
crowds of men, women, and even children of the
people, hardly human, rushing forward to strike,
hack, tear with any kind of weapon at the helpless
victim till he fell, pierced and torn, upon a heap of
naked and mutilated corpses by the gate.

The concierges of the prison were in no way to
blame for any of these happenings. They were
helpless to prevent them, and horrified that their
charge could be so ill carried out. They did indeed
manage to save certain persons, but Madame de
Lamballe was too important a prisoner thus to be
smuggled away. She was called for, and brought
through stifling and crowded passages to the place
where her judges were set. The room was small,
hot to suffocation, crammed with drunken men and
women, the air hideous with fearful cries from with-
out. She was half carried in at last, in a fainting
condition, and the tribunal must wait some minutes
until she was restored sufficiently to continue.
Then began the ghastly travesty of justice. The
talk was again all of plots and secret correspondence :
the words of the trial as handed down to us are
scanty and swift, yet some will have it that it lasted
during four hours. Much confusion obtains about
the whole business, but it is little likely that so long

286 THE PRINCESS E DE LAMBALLE

a time would be spent over one prisoner, whose
condemnation was already practically settled ; and,
in fact, tlie following is probably the correct
version : —

' Who are you ? '

' Marie Therese Louise, Princess of Savoy.'

' Your employment ? '

' Superintendent of the Household to the Queen.'

' Had you any knowledge of the plots of the court on the
10 th August ?'

' I know not whether there were any plots on the 1 0th
August ; but I know that I had no knowledge of them.'

' Swear to Liberty and Equality, and hatred of the King
and Queen.'

' Eeadily to the former ; but I cannot to the latter : it is
not in my heart.'

Among the crowd a man, disguised as a revolu-
tionist, but in truth a servant of the Due de Pen-
thievre, unable single-handed to do more for her,
whispered, ' Swear ! If you do not you are a dead
woman.' She, not knowing whom to believe, gave
no reply, but raised her hands to her head, and made
a step towards the door. Then, drawing herself up,
added, ' I have nothing more to say ; it is indifferent
to me if I die a little earlier or later ; I have made
the sacrifice of my life.' The judge, watching her,
then said, ' Let Madame be set at liberty.'

The Princesse was not aware of the sinister mean-
ing of these words, but she seems to have gathered
little hope from them. As she was led to the door

MURDER OF THE PRINCESSE 287

her friend again whispered frantically, ' Cry "Vive la
nation ! " and you may be saved yet ! ' but it is
doubtful if she even heard him. The supreme effort
had been made, and her senses were now mercifully
failing her. The door was thrown open, the ghastly
sight outside met her eyes, and with a cry of ' Fi
horreur ! ' or, as others say, ' I am lost ! ' she fell
back into the arms of the two savage ruffians behind
her. They seized and pulled her forward : even now
a few cries of ' Grace ! Grace ! ' mingled with the
hoarse roar of hate, but they were quickly quelled by
shouts of ' Death to the disguised lackeys of the Due
de Penthievre ! ' It is said two of these were slain,
and the rest fled. One of her murderers, brought,
long years after, to some tardy justice, described her
as * a little lady dressed in white ' — a haunting
phrase — standing alone a moment above the carnage :
then, as she was dragged into the centre of the court-
yard, a man struck at her with his pike, thrusting it
through that crowning glory of her beauty, her fair
and abundant hair. Down fell the rippling masses
of it, and with them a letter in the Queen's writing,
which she had concealed there : the ruffian's hand, too,
unsteady with drink, wounded her on the forehead,
and blood trickled from the cut. At sight of it, like
wild beasts mad for slaughter, all rushed and flung
themselves upon her ; she was thrown upon the heap
of corpses by the gate, stabbed through and through,
her head cut off, every scrap of clothing torn from her,

288 THE PRINCESSE UE LAMBALLE

exposed, 'naked and beautiful, as God made her,'
says a French writer ; her heart wrenched out, and
mutilations horrible and inhuman inflicted upon
her body.

Tales such as these sicken the very soul : it is
better not to dwell upon them : yet something must
be recorded. Some comfort that after that first
awful glimpse at the gate, she can have known
nothing : her gentle spirit had fled long before her
poor body sufi'ered these unspeakable things. It is
possible, too, that the tale of them has been exagger-
ated, for there was a time some few years after the
Revolution when it was the fashion in retrospect to
heap horrors upon horror's head, and what might have
happened was soon told with circumstance as what
did actually happen. Too many witnesses, however,
have borne evidence to the truth of the outrages upon
Madame de Lamballe to dismiss them without some
word. Her head was carried in triumph through
Paris on a pike, her heart upon another, her body
dragged after : dancing crowds, shrieking ' La Lam-
balle ! La Lamballe ! ' surrounded it. M. de Lamotte,
driving down a street, met the awful crowd, which
stopped him, showed the ghastly trophy, and forced
him to salute it. One man near carried a handful
of the Princesse's hair : and M. de Lamotte gave
him two assignats of a hundred sous for it, ' as a
memento,' and afterwards had it conveyed to M. de
Penthievre.

'THE SATURNALIA OF HELL' 289

On went the crowd, screaming ' La Lamballe I La
Lamballe!' 'My brother,' writes Madame Junot,
' coming to pay us a visit, perceived as be came along
groups of people, whose sanguinary drunkenness was
horrible. . . . Opposite the house of Beaumarchais
he was stopped by an immense mob, composed of
half-naked people besmeared with blood, who had the
appearance of demons. They vociferated, sang, and
danced. It was the Saturnalia of hell. On perceiving
Albert's cabriolet they cried out, "Let it be taken to
him : ' he is an aristocrat. " In a moment the cabriolet
was surrounded by the multitude, and from the
middle of the crowd an object seemed to arise and
approach. My brother's troubled sight did not at
first enable him to perceive long auburn tresses
clotted with blood and a countenance still lovely.
The object came nearer and nearer and rested upon
his face. My unhappy brother uttered a piercing
cry. He had recognised the head of the Princesse de
Lamballe.'

The shop of a famous perruquier was passed, one
who had often coiflfed the Princesse in happier days,
and some fiends in the mob shouted that he should
dress the head again, and rouge the dead lips and
cheeks, for they would carry their prize to Antoinette
in her prison, and it was necessary she should re-
cognise her friend. The wretched hairdresser was
obliged to obey, and performed his task so well that
the beautiful face was almost lifelike as, with wild

290 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

songs and pa iras, it was swept on towards the
Temple. There had been talk of carrying it first to
the Abbaye St. Antoine, where long since the Prin-
cesse had contemplated taking the veil, and where she
had often since gone into retreat with her friend the
Abbess, Madame de Beauveau ; but not sufficient
time seems to have been allowed for this, and all the
excitement of the crowd concentrated upon the
expedition to the Temple.

That very morning Manuel had visited the King
and Queen, and assured them that Madame de Lam-
balle and all the other prisoners at La Force were
well, and securely guarded. At three o'clock in the
afternoon, shortly after dinner, they sat down to play
backgammon together, an excuse really for a few
words unheard by their keepers, when a fearful
uproar became audible in the distance, rapidly
approaching, till the tumult beneath the windows
grew absolutely alarming. The ofiicer on guard, a
man of some humanity, closed the doors and windows
and drew the curtains, merely remarking that the
people were excited, and it was wiser the King should
not look out. Almost immediately after, Clery
entered, very pale, as indeed he might well be. He
had just gone down to his dinner with Tison and his
wife, servants in the Temple, when the head upon the
pike was presented at the window with shrieks of
inhuman laughter. Half an hour sooner the Queen
herself would have been there, and the mob hoped,

THE NEWS AT THE TEMPLE 291

in fact, that the cry of Madame Tison which they
heard, came from her. Clery says that the head,
though bleeding, was not disfigured, and the fair hair,
still in curls, hung about the pike. It had been with
the greatest difficulty that the people had been pre-
vented from dragging the torn and mutilated corpse
also under the Queen's windows, and only a tricolour
ribbon drawn around the courtyard served to restrain
them : the head, however, the guards were obliged to
admit. Marie Antoinette, surprised at seeing Clery
again so soon, asked why he was not at dinner, to
which he replied that he felt ill and could not eat.
The noise without grew greater and greater, and
presently several officers of the guard and the muni-
cipality arrived, and on further inquiries replied
bluntly : ' Well, since you will know, it is Lamballe's
head, which the people wish to show you, that you
may see how tyrants are served ; and if you do not
go to the window, they will bring it up to you.'

The Queen sank fainting to the ground, but Louis
forced himself to approach the window for a moment,
looked a last time upon the features of the tres chere
et aimee cousine, and immediately retired. For two
hours the tumult continued, and then the mob drifted
away towards the Palais Koyal, and comparative
silence reigned : but that was a terrible night at the
Tuileries. Marie Antoinette, indomitable till now,
fell crushed beneath this blow. 'My aunt and I
heard drums beating to arms all night,' wrote Madame

292 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

Eoyale afterwards, ' but my unhappy mother did not
even attempt to sleep. She sobbed and sighed all
night.'

From the Tuileries the dreadful merrymakers
hastened to the Palais Eoyal, where the Due d' Orleans
and his mistress, Madame de BufTon, entertained a
party of Englishmen, and were just about to sit down
to supper. ' It is doubtful,' says Bertrand de Mole-
ville, ' whether this visit was intended as an insult or
an act of homage,' but Orleans seems to have taken
it very coolly. Agnes de Buffon threw herself into a
chair, shrieking, ' O God ! They will carry my head
like that some day I ' But he merely remarked, ' Oh,
it is Lamballe's head : I know it by the long hair.
Let us sit down to supper,' and proceeded to help his
guests. One of his apologists, on the contrary,
declares that he nearly fainted at the sight, and
exclaimed, ' Unhappy woman ! Had she trusted me
she would not have been there ! ' but this does not
appear to have been the general view of his conduct.
Dr. Moore, himself in Paris during all these days,
having spoken of the Queen's passionate grief, adds :
'Although the Princesse de Lamballe was a near
connection of the proprietor of this palace (the Palais
Royal), I do not understand that the shock which
the sight occasioned endangers his health.' It is due,
however, to OrMans to point out that the generally
received story of his having instigated the Princesse's
death in order to enjoy her wealth is quite unfounded,

AT THE PALAIS EOYAL 293

since, being now separated from his wife, the death of
any relation of hers could make no pecuniary differ-
ence to him. There is no doubt that he might have
done much to save his sister-in-law, and that his
latter conduct towards her was animated by an almost
inhuman spitefulness, but this had its root in far more
subtle considerations than mere money.

The agents of the Due de Penthievre, meanwhile,
unable though they had been to save the Princesse,
still hoped to carry out some part of their mission.
' If harm comes to my daughter-in-law,' the Due had
written, ' follow the body wherever they carry it, and
have it buried in the nearest cemetery till I can have
it transported to Dreux.' Three of these men, there-
fore, disguised and seeming to fraternise with the
ruffians who held the pikes, followed the grim proces-
sion wherever it went : turned those who would have
carried the bleeding head to the Hotel de Toulouse
from their purpose by declaring that the Princesse
had never lived there of late, only at the Tuileries or
her own Hotel Louvois (which, as a matter of fact,
she had only used for her stables), and as the after-
noon wore on, watched every chance of effecting their
purpose. At length Charlat, he who held the pike, grew
thirsty, and leaving it at the door in the charge of
Jacques Pointel, one of Penthievre's men, entered an
alehouse with the other two, who plied him with
drink till he became intoxicated. Pointel immediately
lifted down the head, wrapped it quickly in a napkin,

294 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

and hurried to the little peaceful Cemetery of the
Foundlings close by, near the Hospital of the Quinze-
Vingts, where he offered 600 livres from the Due de
Penthievre if it might be interred. All Paris was not
so brutal as the assassins of the prisons, and the
Princesse had long been a kind and charitable visitor
to the Foundling Hospital : the following day, there-
fore, the authorities consented to allow this to be
done.

As to what at last became of her body nothing is
known. Five men, Hervelin, Quervelle, Pouquet,
Ferrie, and Eoussel, had presented themselves at the
Foundlings about an hour before Pointel, bringing
with them a little pile of treasures found in the dress
or apartment of the murdered lady, which they wished
to have verified before carrying them back themselves
to the National Assembly. The list of these articles
is rather pathetic. There was a little copy of the
Imitation of Christ, bound in red morocco, with gilt
edges ; a red morocco portfolio ; a case containing
eighteen national assignats for five livres each ;
the ring with Marie Antoinette's hair in it ; a little
ivory pocket-book with a gold pen and two gold
clasps ; a mother-of-pearl penknife with two blades,
ornamented with silver ; a corkscrew and a little
depilator of English steel ; a little card with a
vignette on it and some indistinguishable words ;
a paper containing a memorandum of linen and
clothes ; two little glass bottles for ink, with gold tops,

LAST TREASURES OF THE PRINCESSE 295

and some coloured sand to seal with ; a medallion in
blue cloth, trimmed with blue silk, a pierced and
flaming heart painted upon it (the Freemason badge) ;
and a picture with, on the one side, a flaming heart
pierced with a sword and crowned with thorns, over
the words, ' Cor Jesus salva nos, perimur ' ; and on
the reverse, a heart and fleur-de-lis, with the inscrip-
tion, 'Cor Mariae unitum cordi Christi.' These poor
little treasures having been certified at the Quinze-
Vingts, were taken back to the National Assembly,
and all arrived safely except the assignats, which
unaccountably disappeared by the way. It is said
that these same five ' patriots ' also brought with
them to the Quinze-Vingts the headless corpse of the
Princesse, for which they demanded burial, and were
refused, it being declared to be ' the body of a traitor ' ;
but this seems in the highest degree improbable.
Weber says that on being forbidden to drag the body
into the Temple, the crowd threw it aside upon a heap
of nameless corpses, with which it was afterwards
flung into a quicklime pit : other authorities tell of
its being torn to fragments, the heart roasted and
eaten, one of the legs used to load a cannon, and
other nameless horrors, of which one can but hope
the half to be fabrications : but it seems very unlikely
that any members of the mob would have troubled
themselves to procure seemly burial for it. The head
was, however, undoubtedly laid in the quiet little
cemetery garden, now long since destroyed, where

296 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

the gentle Princesse had often sat and talked to the
children, whom she delighted to watch at their play,
and whose after-welfare she had so frequently and
so substantially aided. It was never, as originally
intended, removed to Dreux, where indeed the other
tombs were all two years later broken open, and the
long-guarded bones of the Penthievres thrown out
into the dust of the highway. A faithful friend
marked the spot with a stone, and the Duchesse
d'Orl^ans was able long afterwards to erect a beautiful
monument to their memory.

CONCLUSION 297

CHAPTER XX

CONCLUSION

That same night rumours of the dreadful news
reached Fortaire, M. de Penthifevre's valet, at Vernon ;
but he said nothing to his master. It might not be
true : for two days the massacres at the prisons had
continued, and yet the Princesse was safe : the Due
had spared no pains to bribe right and left, high and
low, all who might serve her ; and it was not really
thought possible that she could die. But at seven
in the morning the Paris letters came in, and M. de
MiromesnU, who now lived with his old friend, was
the first to be apprised of the terrible certainty.

He broke it to the Duchesse d'OrMans, taking her
her letters himself; and she fainted in horror, only
managing to command herself when it was pointed
out to her that she and none other must be the one
to tell her aged father. To our modern notions,
convinced that no ill news can adequately be liroken,
the scene these kind creatures devised out of the
love of their hearts, seems grim in the extreme.
The whole household was hastily dressed in black,

298 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

and tip-toed into the Due's room, where they sat
in a semi-circle, with pocket-handkerchiefs, round his
bed, the Duchesse in an arm-chair beside him ; so
that when at last his eyes opened, they fell upon
an exact representation of a mourning household
prepared to receive visits of condolence. Death is
not so dreadful to the old, and the Due understood
very quickly. His only remark was the curious one
that ' he had nothing to reproach himself with ' ; he
then kissed his daughter, got up, prayed, dressed,
and an hour later the whole house assembled in the
black-hung chapel to hear Mass for the soul of the
murdered Princesse.

Two months later, the community of Vernon
planted a ' tree of liberty ' on M. de Penthifevre's
terrace, informing him that it represented Homage
rendered to Virtue, at which he must have smiled
somewhat ; and in the following March he died, only
thus, it is probable, saving himself from the scaffold,
which quickly after engulfed most of his friends and
relatives. Louis xvi. had already been guillotined
on the 21st January, Marie Antoinette followed in
October, Madame Elizabeth a year later ; the Dauphin
died wretchedly in prison. When the Queen's room
was searched after her death, a miniature of Madame
de Lamballe was found to be one of the few treasures
she had managed to conceal to the last.

The Due d'Orl^ans, elected a member of the Con-
vention immediately after the massacres of September,

CONCLUSION 299

threw aside his own name and took that of ^galite,
reaching his lowest depth of infamy by voting in the
public Assembly for the King's death, being present
at his execution, and driving thence in a coach and
six with a gay party to Raincy for the afternoon.
It is said that his friend, the English Prince Eegent,
tore up his portrait in disgust when he heard of this,
and would never speak of him again. In spite of
truckling to the people, however, Orleans, faithless to
his own house, could not win trust from any other.
He was always regarded with suspicion ; and when,
the following year, his son Louis Philippe left France
to join the Austrians in Switzerland, the incident
was sufficient to focus long floating accusations upon
his head, and he too was guillotined in November
1793.

Twelve years later, the power of Napoleon having
been crushed, the monarchy of France was restored,
and M. de Provence reigned for nine years as
Louis xviii, ; after which, he dying without children,
his brother the Comte d'Artois succeeded him as
Charles x. Both the Savoy princesses had died in
exile before their husbands became Kings of France.
Charles's eldest son, the Due d'Angouleme, married,
as had long before been arranged, his cousin, that
' Princess of Sorrows,' Madame Royale, but they had
no children : and the younger son, the Due de Berri,
left only a posthumous son, whose claims, on the
abdication of Charles himself in August 1880, were

300 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

quickly set aside ; and Louis Philippe d'Orleans, son
of the notorious Egalit6, was called to the throne.

Some word concerning the subsequent fate of other
friends of the Princesse de Lamballe may not here
come amiss. The Duchesse d'Orleans, gentle and
harmless creature though she had always been, was
arrested six months after her father's death, and
imprisoned for nearly a year at the Luxembourg :
then moved to a Maison de Sante, where rather more
liberty was allowed her. The good nuns of Mont-
martre, where she had spent her happy schooldays,
came often to visit her ; and her chief regret was that
her natural generosity could not fulfil itself, since all
her wealth had been taken from her, and she was
very poor. Through all her adversities, however,
she kept safely a ring containing the portrait of her
father. In the end of 1797, permitted at last to
leave France, she journeyed to Spain, and a few
years later her children joined her. She died in
June 1821, aged sixty-eight, not living to see her
son made King of France.

Etiennette de L&ge, after her hasty visit to Paris
in the last days of that fatal July, reached Bordeaux
safely on the 4th August, there finding her three tmy
daughters overjoyed to see her, and her mother, as
she had feared, gravely ill. All through that terrible
month and the alarming news it brought, she nursed
Madame d'Amblimont ; till on the night of the 3rd
September, the patient, having nearly died that day,

CONCLUSION 301

lay silent at last, soothed with morphia, and fitien-
nette herself, half dead with fatigue, rested beside
her. Shouts rose in the streets; the news of the
massacres had come ; and Madame de Lage had lost
not only her Princesse, but two uncles, the Bishops
of Saintes and Beauvais. She says she flung herself
at the window in horror, unable to believe her ears.
All that day her mother lay unconscious, and she
herself could not speak for grief. In the end Madame
d'Amblimont recovered, and lived ten years longer-
The whole family escaped to Spain, and remained
seven years there before it was safe for them to
return to France : and Madame de Lage herself lived
till 1842, dying at the age of seventy-eight, when
she had outlived almost every relation she possessed.

Madame de Ginestous kept herself hidden all the
while the Princesse de Lamballe was imprisoned at
La Force, ready to join her at any moment. After
the massacres of September she accompanied her
friend Madame de Spinola to Boulogne, but still,
struggling bravely with her natural fears, refused
to leave France while the Queen lived and might
need her : on hearing of the execution of Marie
Antoinette, however, she immediately went on board
a boat bound for England. She developed a serious
fever while on board, went mad, and never after
regained her senses.

Florian the poet died in September 1794, a year
and a half after his beloved Due de Penthi^vre.

302 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

Of the Duchesse de Polignac it is related that when
she, at Vieuna, heard of the Queen's death, she uttered
one shriek and expired : this is, however, not strictly-
true. She was already very ill when the news came,
and she lived a fortnight after it : it is quite probable,
however, that it may have accelerated her death,
although Count Fersen bitterly declares that she
never cared a sou for the Queen, and all her thoughts
were for herself.

All property left by the Princesse de Lamballe was
sealed by the National Convention till August 1793,
when it was ordered to be used for the national
treasure : her nephew the Prince de Savoy-Carignan
and her sister the Princesse Charlotte demanded
restitution, declaring themselves to be her heirs, but
it does not appear that they ever obtained it. It
was necessary that the massacres of September should
be ostensibly condemned by the authorities, and four
months after they occurred, sixteen persons were
formally accused of taking part in them, two having
openly boasted of killing the Princesse. One of
these was the negro Delorme, a brutal and horrible
creature, whom she had once had in her service,
treated kindly, and been obliged to dismiss for gross
faults. All but one of the sixteen were, however,
acquitted, and he — a man named R^gnier — though
condemned to twenty years' imprisonment, was pro-
nounced to have done it 'without premeditation.'
On the 18th January 1797, when France was cooling

CONCLUSION 303

somewhat to the horrors of this time, the Gazette
Franpaise has a further entry on the subject : —

' Grizon, convicted of having been one of the
assassins of M. de Launay, Governor of the Bastille,
and of having cut off the head of Madame la Princesse
de Lamballe to please the Due d' Orleans who in-
herited her wealth, has been condemned to death at
Troy as the chief of the brigands who desolated the
Department of L'Aube.'

It is said that in the end one only of the Princesse's
murderers, Allaigre, died in his bed, and all the rest
came to violent ends : Delorme was executed for
killing the Deputy Ferraud. Madame Junot speaks
of a mysterious man dwelling in a lonely cottage on
the seashore, who was whispered to have been the
chief actor in that dreadful business ; the police had
orders from Napoleon to watch him with particular
care, and he died one day ' of suffocation produced
by an accident in eating, uttering the most horrid
blasphemies, and in the midst of frightful tortures.'

It is not claimed for the Princesse de LambaUe
that she was a woman of much firmness or strength
of character ; clever people sneered at her simplicity
of mind ; strong ones at her weakness of body. She
had no love for intrigue, struggle, decision, anxious
excitements, yet she, of all the Court, proved as
a rock of friendship among shifting sands. In
happier times people accused her of mercenary
motives in demanding well-paid posts at Court ; but,

304 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

setting aside the fact that she asked for far less than
most, her wealth was almost entirely spent upon
the poor ; she lived no life of special luxury her-
self. She had her little feminine jealousies and
subterfuges, her fits of melancholy and depression,
her wholly irrational sympathies and antipathies like
other women. She hated having to give up all her
pretty things, and while willing enough to bestow
generously upon the poor, objected to reduce her
expenses and her people at the arbitrary will of the
National Assembly. Lauzun, and others, laughed at
her constant fainting-fits, and held her able for no
truly great emprise ; but there was no faint-hearted-
ness when the supreme moment came to choose
between death and safety. Nor was the choice
made in any moment of heated exaltation ; it was
taken deliberately and coolly, and she knew weU
what lot it was she had chosen when she wrote
that Will and parted from her friends at Aix-la-
Chapelle. Many women have done as much and
more for love; but cheap sneers have been flung at
the sincerity of a friendship between women ; yet
surely those who have read the history of this
Princesse will acknowledge at least in her an excep-
tion to prove their rule.

Through all the darkest times of the Reign of
Terror, masses were secretly said and sung for the
repose of her soul; and on the 3rd September 1816
the Dowager Duchesse d'Orllans was present at a

CONCLUSION 305

great public mass held at the church of St. Leu, the
walls of which were hung with funeral draperies marked
with the monogram of the murdered Princesse. At
the same time there was some question of erecting
a monument to her in Paris, but this was never done,
perhaps wisely, since it would merely have been
destroyed in the next revolution : Louis Philippe,
however, continued to hold a memorial service for
her every 3rd September whilst he remained King.

These were the words spoken at the first service
to her memory, held in the little chapel at Vernon
on the very morning after her death :

' all-powerful God ! God of mercy, divine
providence I holy and eternal Trinity ! Believing
very firmly in the immortality of the soul, we
implore Thee very humbly to adorn that of Thy
servant Louise de Savoy, the unfortunate princess,
with the radiant crown of the martyr ; and to admit
her to the shining company of the elect, with them
in Thy celestial home to sing eternally to the glory
of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.
De Profundis.'

u

306 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

NOTE

Interest in the tragic fate of the Princesse de Lamballe
was roused very shortly after her death, and as early as
1801 a book, ostensibly compiled by a confidential friend,
was published in Paris under the title of M^moires historiques
de Marie Thirhse Louise de Garignan, princesse de Lamballe,
une des principales victimes immoUes dans les horribles journies
des 2 et 3 septembre 1792, publics par Madame Guenard.
Madame Guenard was the author of several romances,
and this book was sheer romance, teeming with ana-
chronisms and errors such as no one who had enjoyed the
least intimacy with the Princesse could possibly have
perpetrated. Madame de Lage heard of the publication,
procured an early copy, and became furiously indignant at
what, with her usual energy, she denounced as une cochon-
nerie abominable. She hastily consulted with Madame de
Las Cases, Madame de Pardaillon, M. de Clermont, and
other of the late Princesse's friends, and with their full
approval sent for the deceased lady's steward and ordered
him to write to all the chief newspapers in Paris to say
that the friends of the Princesse publicly advertised that
the Memoirs just published were not only not written by
her, as was easy to tell by their style, but that every fact
in them was either untrue or given in ignorance by a
person knowing nothing of the intimate habits of the
Princesse. That her friends were ready to render justice
to the intentions of the author (who had certainly painted
the Princesse's character in an amiable light), but that it
is always dangerous to write of subjects one knows nothing
about, especially when persons are still living who can
refute every word : that no one of the Princesse's house-
hold had ever heard of Madame Guenard, and could only
suppose, if she had ever belonged to it, that she was some
cookmaid who had never penetrated further than the
scullery. Certain particularly glaring errors were then
mentioned to prove the absolute untruthfulness of the book ;

NOTE 307

but in spite of all this, it seems to have enjoyed a good sale,
and was even reprinted in Brussels thirteen years later.

A somewhat similar romance, also pretending to be
written by an intimate friend of the Princesse, was
published in English in 1826 with the title Secret Memoirs of
the Royal Family in France during the Revolution, etc., now
first published from the journal, letters and conversations of
the Princess Lamballe hy a Lady of Rank in the confidential
service of that unfortunate princess. This work is, if possible,
more absurdly incorrect and untrustworthy than Madame
Guenard's effusion ; and its authorship has at various times
been assigned either to Catherine Hyde, Comtesse de
Broglio Solari, or to Helen Maria Williams. Though
written much in the haphazard style of the latter lady,
however, the political views expressed in it are too much
at variance with her known opinions to render this at
least a probable solution. The Secret Memoirs were
republished as recently as 1895, but can of course only be
interesting as an historical curiosity.

In 1864 M. Mathurin de Lescure published the first
authentic Life — La Princesse de Lamhalle, in which, though
it is true he inserts some doubtful letters, the famous
' English Letter ' amongst them, he has at the same time
been at the greatest pains to collect information from every
contemporary Memoir that can throw any possible light
upon the Princesse's character, career, and friends. The
result is a book of singular charm, and a mine of curious
detail and research, even though care needs to be exercised
in the acceptance of all his facts : but M. Georges Bertin's
production, Madame de Lamhalle d'aprh des documents
inMits, published in 1888, is undoubtedly the most
standard and trustworthy work upon the subject. Neither
Bertin nor Lescure have ever been translated into English.

Madame de LIge's invaluable Souvenirs d'iJmigration
was published in 1869, and much sympathetic mention
is made of the Princesse in all the Memoirs of the period ;
those of Madame de Tourzel and her daughter being in
fact our only authority for the deeply interesting chronicle

308 THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

of the weeks spent by the three ladies in the prison of
La Force. M. Paul Fassy's J^pisodes de I'Histoire de Paris,
and M. Lucien Lambeau's Essais sur la mort de Madame la
Princesse de Laniballe contain almost all details it has been
possible to gather of the unfortunate lady's murder : and
for her earlier history such works as Count Barthdlemy's
Les Princes de la Maison Boyale de Savoie, Honor^ Bon-
homme's Le Due de Penthiivre, Florian chez le Due de
Penthitvre, Florian's Mimoires d'un Jeime Espagnol, the
Correspondance sec7'ete entre Marie TMrdse et le Gomte de
Mercy Argentcau, and E. Delille's Journal de la Vie de
Madame la Duchesse d'OrUans, should be consulted. Almost
all who lived through the Eevolution wrote their Memoirs
or recollections, and the iield is immense: on the whole,
too, the varying accounts agree marvellously, and there is
very little discrepancy. A list of the most interesting
follows, but it would be impossible to give the names of alL
Madame Campan's Private Life of Marie Antoinette, the
Marquise de Cr^quy's French Noblesse of the Eighteenth
Century, Gaston Maugras' Due de Lauzun and the Court
of Marie Antoinette, the Comte d'Hezecque's Recollections of
a Page at the Court of Louis XVI., Fran9ois Metra's Gazette
Anecdotique du r&gne de Louis xvi., the Life and Letters of
Madame Elizabeth, the Diary and Correspondence of Count
Fersen, Auguste Ducoin's Etudes B6volutionnaires, A. Begis'
Curiositis Bivolutionnaires, the Letters of the Marquise du
Deffand to Horace Walpole, Dr. John Moore's Journal during
a Residence in France, H. Sclesinger's Les Femmes du xviil°.
Sitcle, and the Mimoires of the Baronne d'Oberkirch, Bertrand
de Moleville, Joseph Weber, Madame Vig4e Lebrun, Madame
de Genlis, the Comtesse Diane de Polignac, the Princesse de
Tarente, Madame de la Bochejaquelin, the Marqids de la Boche-
foucauld. Petit de Bachaumont, Madame Junot, Baron Hue,
Hanet Clery, and many others.

INDEX

309

INDEX OF PERSONS

v-ACHB, Marquise d', 15.
Adelaide, Madame, 18, 36, 38, 46,

58, 108, 109, 117, 138, 196.
''Affray, M. d', 264.
Allaigre, 303.

Amadeus iii.. Count of Savoy, 2. ,.
Amadeus IV., Count of Savoy, 2.
Amadeua v., the Great, 2.
Amadeus vii., Duke of Savoy, 2. i.
, AmblimoQt, Comte d', 127, 137, l

227, 246.
Amblimont, Comtesse d', 127, 137,

210, 214, 217, 246, 300-1.
Angoulgme, Duo d', 77, 116, 151,

165, 168, 299.
'^Arlande, Marquis d', 146.
Artois, Comte d', 19, 46, 57, 62,

89, 90, 96, 107, 110-11, 116,

117, 118, 138, 150, 151, 165,

168, 175, 202, 210, 217, 299.
Artois, Comtesse d', 57, 72, 77,

89, 92, 117, 136, 175, 202, 299.
Augustus of Saxony, 19.
.-Autier, Anniette d', 121-2.
Autier, M. d', 119, 121, 146.
Aza, 222.

Bachadmont, Petit de, 23-6, 308.
Bachmann, M. de, 252.
Bagarotti, Mdlle., 86, 119.
Bailly, 178, 229.
Barnave, 203.
Barth^lemy, Count, 308.
Bavaria, Princess Mary of, 4.
JBeauchesne, M. de, 267.
Beaujolais, Comte de, 121, 162.
Beauveau, Madame de, 290.
Begis, A., 308.
Belleval, M. de, 156.
Benedict xiv.. Pope, 10.
Berc, Madame de, 134.

Berri, Due de, 165, 168, 299.

Bertin, Georges, 307.

Bertin, Mdlle., 96.

Bezenval, Baron de, 90, 101, 118.

Billaud-Varennes, 263, 278.

Biron, Duchesse de, 182.

Bonhomme, Honor6, 308.

Boufflers, 119.

Bouille, Madame de, 134.

Bouillon, Princesse de, 46.

Bourbon, Due de, 17, 45, 46, 117,

161, 165, 175.
Bourbon, Duchesse de, 45, 46, 96,

117, 132, 168.
Boynes, Madame de, 134.
Breteuil, Abb6 de, 38-9.
Breteuil, Baron de, 76, 80, 151,

161, 175, 234.
Briche, Le Sieur la Live de la, 73.
Brioune, Comtesse de, 45, 52,

71.
Broc, Marquise de, 74.
Broglio-Solari, Comtesse de, 307.
Brunoy, Madame de, 221.
Buffon, Madame de, 269-70, 292.
Burgundy, Duke of, 19.
Burney, JFanny, 159.

Calonne, 158.

Campan, Madame, 83, 179, 187,
257, 260, .308.

Carignan, Prince de (father of the
Princesse), 3, 70-3, 115.

Carignan, Prince de (brother of the
Princesse), 5, 13, 52, 70-1, 128.

Carignan, Prince de (nephew of the
Princesse), 128, 219, 302.

Carignan, Princesse de (mother of
the Princesse), 3, 113, 115.

Carignan, Princesse de (sister-in-
law of the Princesse), 71, 220.

310

THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

Carignan, Prince Eugene de. See

Villefranche, Comte de.
Carignan, Prinoesse Charlotte de,

302.
Carlyle, 153, 229, 283.
Cervantes, 121.
, dhambonaa, M. de, 179.
"Chamilly, 261, 263.
Charlat, 293.
Charlemagne, 212.
Charles i. of England, 4.
Charles v., Emperor, 3.
Charles vii. of France, 170.
Charles in., Duke of Savoy, 3.
Charles Emmanuel I., Duke of

Savoy, 3.
Charles Emmanuel in.. King of

Sardinia, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 14, 53.
Charles Emmanuel iv.. King of

Sardinia, 14.
Charlotte, Queen of England, 203.
^hassaine, Mdlle. de la, 23-4, 166.
Chassaine, Mdlle. Charlotte de la,

166.
Chevalier, 222.

Chimay, Princesse de, 154, 196.
'jChoiaeul, Duo de, 37, 39, 49-50,

101.
Choiseul-Beaupre, M. de, 7.
Choiseul-Gouffier, M. de, 221.
Clavi^re, 238-9.
Cl^menceau, M. Georges, 281.
-yClermont, Comte de, 17, 132.
Clermont, Mdlle. de, 64, 79.
Clermont-Gallerande, Marquis de,

192, 199, 206, 208, 213-14,

219-21, 230, 251, 306.
Clery, 257, 290-1, 308.
Clothilde, Madame, 14, 19, 58, 77,

100.
, Coigny, Due de, 99, 101, 118.
Coiguy, Madame de, 153.
Colonges, 271.
Gondii, Mdlle. de, 117.
Cond6, Prince de, 17, 39, 41, 46,

165, 175.
Conrad, Emperor, 1.
Conti, Prince de, 17, 20, 103.
Conti, Prince de (at first Comte de

la Marche), 16, 17, 45, 117, 165,

175.

Conti, Princesse de, 27.
Conti, Princesse de (at first Com-
tesse de la Marche), 16, 18, 20,
27, 37, 45, 98, 108, 117, 155
.220.
'.•-Coss(5, Duohesse de, 51, 69-70, 76.
_j3rgquy. Marquise de, 22, 308.
Cromwell, Oliver, 181.
Cumberland, Duchess of, 213.

Danton, 278.

Dauphin, The (father of Louis xvi.),
19.

Dauphin, The (eldest son of Louis
XVI.), 136, 163, 170-1.

Dauphin, The (second son of Louis
XVI. , at first Due de Normandie),
150, 171, 178, 182, 190, 196,
199, 218, 225, 231, 234, 240,
244, 252-3, 258, 260, 263, 298.

Dauphiness, The (mother of Louis
XVI.), 19.

DefiFand, Madame du, 20, 46, 308.

Delance, Cardinal, 13.

Delille, E., 308.

Delorme, 302-3.

Denmark, King of, 37, 51.

Deromme, 221.

Deslon, 150.

Didot, 221.

Dillon, Comtesse de, 99, 100.

Donissan, Madame de, 221.

Dubarry, Madame, 37, 43, 50.

Ducoin, A., 308.

Duras, Due de, 46.

Duras, Madame de, 142.

Durfort, Chevalier de, 221.

Elizabeth, Archduchess, 37.

Elizabeth, Madame, 19, 58, 92,
100, 117, 135, 144-5, 165, 168,
181, 182, 199, 228, 244, 250,
252-3, 258, 263, 268, 291, 298,
308.

Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of
Savoy, 3.

Emmanuel, Philibert n., 3.

Enclos, Ninon de 1', 35, 108.

Enghien, Due d', 165, 168, 175,
219.

Eatagnao, Abb4, 141.

INDEX

311

Eaterhazy, Comte d', 90, 118

Eu, Comte d', 8, 17, 74.

Eugen, Prinz, 3.

Eugene, Prince of Carignan. See

Villefranche, Comte de.
Eugeniua iv.. Pope, 2.

Fancigny, Comtesse de, 156.

Fasay, P., 308.

Felix v.. Pope, 2.

Ferdinand, Archduke and Arch-
duchess, 154-5.

Ferraud, Deputy, 303.

Ferrie, 294.

Fersen, Count, 90, 148, 176, 198,
205, 228, 232-3, 302, 308.

Fitz-James, Comte de, 41, 97.

Florian, 30, 34, 119, 121, 141, 144,
148-9, 164-5, 301, 308.

Foret, Mdlle. de la, 24-6.

Fortaire, 178, 192, 200-1, 227,297.

Francis l. of France, 3.

Franjois, the jailer, 267, 271-3,
279-80.

Franklin, Benjamin, 147.

Gabriel, F., 281.

Galliot, Genevieve, 22-3.

Garat, 141.

Genlis, Madame de, 74-6, 82, 85-7,

119-21, 193-4, 308.
Gilibert, Madame, 141.
Ginestous, Madame de, 137, 173,

200, 213, 216-17, 221, 223-4, 230,

240, 241, 247-8, 251, 260, 301.
Gluck, 60.

Goncourt Brothers, 85.
Greuze, 22.
Grizon, 303.
Guarini, 6.

Gu^briant, Comtesse de, 15.
Gu^m^n^, Prince de, 99, 141.
Gu^m^D^, Priacesse de, 99, 100-1,

104-5, 141.
Guenalt, 86-7.
Gueoard, Madame, 306.
Guerchy, Comte de, 16.
Guiche, Due and Duchesse de, 124.
Guines, Due de, 101, 118.
Gustavus III. of Sweden, 51, 145-7,

198, 209, 211, 213, 232-3.

Haeooubt, Due de, 171.

Hardi, Jean, 275-8, 282.

Hubert, 284.

Henry III. of England, 2.

Hervelin, 294,

Hesse, Prince George of, 169.

Hesse-Rheinlels-Rotheuburg, Chris-
tine Henriette de. Sec Carignan,
Princessede (mother of the Prin-
cesse).

Hease-Rheinfels-Rotherburg, Pol-
ixene Christine de, 5.

Hezeoquea, Comte d', 308.

Hinnisdal, Madame d', 134.

Hue, Baron, 261, 263, 266, 308.

Humbert, Count of Maurienne, 1, 2.

Hyde, Catherine. See Broglio-
Solari, Comtesse de.

Imbert, Father, 27.

Joseph, Emperor, 107-9, 184.
Josephine, Empress, 136.
Junot, Madame, 289, 303, 308.

Kbeoado, Madame de, 220.

La Croix, 255.

Lafayette, 178, 182, 198, 244.

Lage de Volude, Comte de, 126,
137.

Lage de Volude, Comtesse de (at
first Mdlle. d'Amblimont), 125-7,
137, 142-3, 151, 159-60, 166-7,
169, 170-4, 200, 203-4, 207-14,
217, 221, 223-4, 227, 241, 246-8,
300-1, 306-7.

Lamballe, Prince de, 7-12, 15-17,
21-8, 38-9, 144, 166.

Lamballe, Princesae de, 1,3; birth
and childhood, 5-6 ; betrothal,
7; anecdote of childhood, 11;
dowry, 12 ; marriage by proxy,
13; leaves Turin, 14; reaches
France, 15 ; meets the Prince,
16; wedding banquet, 17 ; pre-
sented at Court, 18; wedding
festivities, 20 ; grief and ill-
health, 24 ; her diamonds stolen,
25 ; consults Pittara, 26 ; wid-
owed, 27 ; wishes to enter convent,

312

THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

28 ; at Eambouillet, 29-35 ; sug-
gestion she should marry Louis
XV., 36-7 ; approval of Chartres,
40 ; returns to Rambouillet, 42 ;
wedding present to Marie
Antoinette, 44 ; first meeting
with Marie Antoinette, 45 ;
advances from Marie Antoinette,
46-7 ; at Havre, 47 ; returns to
court, 51 ; Lambesc project,
52-3 ; Mazarin fete, 55 ; inti-
macy with Marie Antoinette,
56-60 ; Mercy's comments, 62 ;
the King's approval, 63-4 ; post
of Superintendent first suggested,
64 ; state visit to Brittany, 65-7,
at Versailles, 68-70 ; receives
father and brothers, 70-4 ; in
Holland, 74 ; hatred of Madame
de Genlis, 75 ; made Superin-
tendent, 76; congratulations,
77-8; quarrel about privileges,
78-81 ; happy days with Queen,
81-4 ; personal appearance, 84-6 ;
fainting fits, 86-7 ; approves of
etiquette, 87-8 ; does not agree
with Polignacs, 93-5 ; wild
games at court, 96-7 ; buys
Hotel de Maine, 97-8 ; obtains
pension for the Comtesse de la
Marche, 98 ; friendly with the
Palais Royal, 101 ; warns Queen
of imprudence, 102 ; measles,
103; reception at Tours, 104;
play in her rooms, 106; receives
Emperor Joseph, 108 ; at Plom-
bi^res, 109 ; at masked balls,
110 ; quarrel with the Abb^,
111; books dedicated to, 112;
death of mother, 113 ; death of
father, 115 ; at birth of Madame
Eoyale, 116; receives condol-
ences, 117 ; with Queen through
the measles, 117-18; at Ram-
bouillet, 119-22; slander on,
123; fondness for Mdlle. d'Am-
blimont, 125-7 ; denied admit-
tance to theatre, 127 ; death of
brother, 128 ; misalliance of
Prince Eugiine, 128-30 ; Free-
masons, 133-4 ; at birth of

Dauphin, 136; arranges mar-
riage for Madame de L^ge, 137 ;
court festivities, 138-9 ; receives
Grand Duke and Duchess Paul,
140 ; hears Garat, 141 ; leaves
Rambouillet, 144 ; receives Gus-
tavus of Sweden, 145-6 ; interest
in balloons, 147 ; Florian's dedi-
cation, 148-9 ; fire in rooms,
149 ; in bad health, 150-5 ;
death of brother Eugene, 151 ;
visits Salpetrifere, 155-6 ; goes to
England, 156-60 ; intercedes for
Orleans, 162; hurts head, 162;
success of her prot6g6s, 163-5 ;
is much in country, 165-6 ;
nearly poisoned, 166-7 ; loyal
reception at Tours, 167 ; at
court, 168; attends revolu-
tionary meeting, 169; visits
Dauphin, 170-1; surprise party,
172-4; in Switzerland, 174
hears of attacks on Bastille and
Versailles, 177-9; at Tuileries,
179-82 ; sends money to Trea-
sury, 183-4 ; letter from Queen
185 ; libels and responsibilities,
187-8; letters from King and
Queen, 191-2; at Tours, 192
champions the Duchesse d'Or-
l^ans, 194-5 ; receives Mirabeau,
196 ; escape from Paris, 199
at Brussels, 205 ; at Aix-la-
Chapelle, 206-24 ; visits Gus-
tavus, 211 ; summons from
Queen, 219; will, 219-23
arrives at Paris, 225 ; writes imi-
gres, 227 ; receives the Mar-
quise de Lescure, 230-2 ; plots
and secrets, 234-5, 237-8; mob
in the palace, 240-3 ; friendship
with the Princesse de Tarente,
245-6; last meeting with Madame
de Mge, 246-8 ; morning of 10th
August, 250 - 2 ; accompanies
royal family to Legislative
Assembly, 252-5 ; faints in Lege,
255-6; in convent, 257-8; at
Temple, 260-1 ; parted from the
Queen, 261-2; interrogation,
263-5 ; taken to La Force, 266 ;

INDEX

313

at La Force, 267-74 ; morning
of 3rd September, 279 ; in prison
courtyard, 280 - 2 ; before tri-
bunal, 283-6 ; murder, 287-8 ;
head carried through Paris,
289-93 ; buried at Foundlings
Hospital, 294 ; last treasures,
294-5 ; fate of body, 295-6 ; the
news at Vernon, 297 ; news re-
ceived by Mesdames de Lage and
de Ginestous, 301 ; fate of her
murderers, 302 - 3 ; character,
303-4 ; services in memory of,
305 ; lives of her, 306-8.

Letters from, 126, 142, 159-60,
229.

Lambeau, L., 308.

Lambese, Prince de, 52-3, 115, 237.

Lambriquet, Ernestine, 181.

Lamotte, Madame de, 152, 155-6.

Lamotte, M. de, 288.

Langeao, Marquise de, 51, 63.

Laroohe-Aymon, Marquise de, 240.

Lascases, Madame de, 71, 134.

Las Cases, Lieutenant de, 207, 224,
229.

Las Cases, Marquise de, 125, 140,
195, 206-7, 211, 221, 223, 306.

Lastic, Chevalier de, 15.

Launay, M. de, 303.

Lauzun, Duo de, 20, 41-2, 55, 87,
90, 103, 134, 153, 269, 304, 308.

Lavanguyon, Due de, 74.

Lawrence, 85.

Le Brun, Madame, 84, 308.

LMe, Madame de, 278, 282.

Lemercier, N^pomucene, 164.

Leopold, Emperor, 184, 233, 242.

Lescure, Mathurin de, 148, 215,
307.

Lescure, Marquis de, 230-2, 242.

Lescure, Marquise de. See Roche-
jaquelin. Marquise de la.

Ligne, Prince de, 85.

Lorraine, Mdlle. de, 46, 71.

Lostange, Madame de, 134.

Louis XIV., 7, 143, 220, 259.

Louis XV., 12, 18, 28, 31-2, 36-7, 45,
46, 50, 53, 60, 65, 88, 92.

Louis XVI., 14, 19, 38, 43, 45, 46,
56, 60-1, 63, 65-7, 72-3, 77, 80,

81, 88-90, 92, 105, 107-10, 114,
116, 124, 129, 134, 136, 140, 143,
146-7, 151, 157, 160-3, 168, 170,
172, 176, 178, 180, 182, 184,
188-91, 193, 197-8, 199, 201-2,
209, 215-17, 225, 227, 229, 230-
40, 242-5, 248-56, 2oS-9, 262,
264, 268-70, 290-1, 298-9, 308.

Louis Philippe, King of the French
(at first Due de Valois, Due de
Chartres, and Due d'Orli^ans), 56,
95, 116, 119-20, 122, 165, 168,
193, 220, 237, 299, 300, 305.

Louise, Madame, 18, 58, 196.

Luchet, Marquis de, 187.

Luxembourg, Duchesse de, 154.

Luynes, Cardinal de, 16, 164.

Luyues, Duchesse de, 119-20, 142,
154, 221.

Machau, Madame de, 240.

Madame. See Provence, Comtesse
de.

Magnat, 222.

Magou de Boisgarein, Mdlle., 128-9.

MaiU(S, Duchesse de, 240.

Malouet, 237-8.

Maucini, Olympe, 3.

Mandat, M. de, 249-50, 264.

Manuel, Procureur, 259, 266-8,
270-2, 290.

Marche, Comte and Comtesse de la.
See Conti, Prince and Princesse
de.

Maria Leczineka, 18, 35.

Maria Theresa, 37, 43, 50, 52, 62,
65, 69-70, 73, 76, 80, 95, 98,
130,308.

Marie Antoinette, 40 ; betrothal,
43 ; marriage and arrival at Ver-
sailles, 44-5 ; festivities, 46 ; ad-
visers, 47-50 ; friends, 50-3 ;
private circle, 56-8 ; affection for
the Princesse de Lamballe, 59-60 ;
becomes Queen, 60 ; new court,
61-4; wishes the Princesse for
Superintendent, 64 ; objections,
65 ; devotion to Princesse, 69-70 ;
receives the Carignans, 72-3 ; at
Coronation, 73 ; Superintendent
appointed, 76-7 ; friction about

314

THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

privileges, 78-80 ; happy friend-
ship, 81-2 ; sleigh drives, 83 ;
hates etiquette, 88; at Petit
Trianon, 89 ; imprudent conduct,
90 ; meets Comtease Jules de
Polignac, 91 ; infatuation for her,
92-4 ; vexed with the Princesse,
94 ; extravagant dresses, 95-6 ;
rowdy court, 97; other friends,
99-102; alarmed at Prineesse's ill-
ness, 103-4 ; love of play, 105-6 ;
visit from Emperor Joseph, 107-9;
attends masked balls, 110-11;
annoyed at quarrel between
Princesse and Abb^, 111-12 ; ter-
race concerts, 112 ; birth of
Madame Roy ale, 115-16; measles,
117-19; believes tales against
Princesse, 122-3 ; adoration for
Madame de Polignac, 123-4 ; act-
ing at court, 127-8 ; death of
Maria Theresa, 130; renewed
affection for Princesse, 130-1 ;
interest in Freemasonry, 134-6;
birth of Dauphin, 136 ; public
rejoicings, 138-9 ; entertains
Grand Duke and Duchess Paul
of Russia, 140; failure of the
Gu(5m6n6s, 141 ; Madame de
Polignac made Governess, 142 ;
Easter celebrations, 144 ; cold-
ness to Princesse, 148 ; birth of
Duo de Normandie, 150 ; anxious
about Prineesse's health, 150-1 ;
Diamond Necklace, 152; enmity
with Orleans, 153-4 ; Madame
Sophie born, 154; sends money
to Lamotte, 156 ; Convention of
Notables, 157 ; the Princesse and
Madame de Polignac go to Eng-
land, 158; changed character,
162-3 ; commands Mdldagre,
164; Easter communion, 165;
wishes for the Princesse to return,
167; sends her to the Petits
Carmes, 169; at States General,
170; death of Dauphin, 171;
Pinel mystery, 172 ; parts with
the Polignacs, 175-6; attack on
Versailles, 178-9 ; court at the
Tuileries, 180-2 ; death of Em-

peror Joseph, 184; slanders on
friends, 186-7 ; suspicions of her
ladies, 187-8; St. Cloud, 189;
Fete of Federation, 190-1 ; at
Tuileries, 195 ; friendship with
Mirabeau, 19G-7 ; bent on escape,
198 ; flight, 199 ; stopped at
Varennes, 202-3 ; false ' English
letter,' 204 ; friends at Brussels,
205-6 ; watched by soldiers, 217 ;
constant correspondence with
Princesse, 208-9, 215-18 ; orders
her return, 219 ; mentioned in
her will, 220-1 ; changed appear-
ance, 225 ; wishes the imigris to
return, 227-8 ; difficult to see
friends, 229-30 ; receives the
Lesoures, 231-2; meets Fersen,
233 ; deaths of Emperor of Aus-
tria and King of Sweden, 233 ;
plots against her, 234 ; hatred of
Orleans, 236 ; persuades King to
use veto, 239 ; mob in the Tuil-
eries, 240-2 ; at Federation Fete
(1792), 244-5; will not allow
Madame de Lage at Tuileries,
247 ; attack on Tuileries, 249-52 ;
leaves for the Assembly, 252-3 ;
in Loge, 254-6 ; ladies rejoin at
Convent, 257-8; taken to the
Temple, 259 ; in Temple, 260-1 ;
parts with the Princesse, 262 ;
sends flannel to her, 268 ; Prin-
cesse asks news of, 270 ; accusa-
tions against, 279 ; Princesse
asked to swear hatred of, 286 ;
letter from falls from her hair,
287 ; head taken to the Temple,
289-92 ; death, 298, 308.

Letters from, 67-8, 113-14,
134-6, 177, 185, 191, 208-9,
215-17, 218, 228.

Marie Christine, Archduchess, 135,
200, 204, 205.

Marmontel, 143.

Marsan, Madame de, 100.

Mary, Princess of Bavaria, 4.

Maugras, Gaston, 308.

Maximilien, Archduke, 69.

Mazarin, Cardinal, 3.

Mazarin, Dnchessede, 26, 53-5, 160.

INDEX

315

Melun, Bishop of, 165.
Mercy-Argenteau, Comte de, 49,

50-2, 62, 65, 69-70, 73, 76, 80,

98, 101, 102-3, 104, 106, 109,

111, 112, 113, 118, 122, 128,308.
Mertins, Mdlle., 222, 257-8, 260.
Mesmer, 150.
MiJtra, F., 308.
Millet, Abbe, 164.
Mirabeau, Comte de, 196-7.
Miromesnil, M. de, 226, 297.
Modena, Due de, 10.
Modena, Prinoesse Mathilde de, 11.
Moleville, Bertrand de, 235, 237-8,

292, 308.
Monsieur. See Provence, Comte de.
Montalembert, Madame de, 134.
Montboissier, Baronne de, 221.
Montespan, Madame de, 7, 8, 38.
Montesson, Madame de, 75.
Montgolfier Brothers, 146-7-
Montigny, Mdlle. Eugenie de. See

Talleyrand, Baronne de.
Montmorency, Cardinal de, 168.
Montmorency, Prineesse de, 32.
Montmorin, 237.
Montpensier, Due de, 74, 119-20,

165, 168, 220, 237.
Moore, Dr., 292, 308.
Mordant de Massiac, Marquis de,

136.
Morellet, Abb^, 164.
Motte, Mdlle. de la, 23.

Napoleon, Emperor, 151, 207,

299, 303.
Narbonne, Archbishop, 99.
Navarre, Madame, 261.
Necker, 175.
Noailles, Madame de, 47, 51, 60,

64-5, 69, 76.

Obanks, Madame, 160.
Oberkirch, Baronne d', 38, 74, 84,

92, 120, 139-40, 308.
Orange, Prince and Princess of, 74.
Orlfeans, Anne Mary de, 3.
Orleans, Eugenie Adelaide Louise,

Mdlle. d', 109-10, 119, 121, 139,

156, 168.
Orleans, Henrietta, Duchesse d', 4.

Orleans, Louis Philippe Joseph,
Due d', ' %alit^ ' (at first Due de
Chartres), 17, 21-2, 34, 38-42, 45,

46, 47, 55-6, 74-5, 90, 95-7, 101,
103, 106, 116, 120, 123, 125,
132-3, 147, 153, 161-2, 165,168,
170, 172, 183-4, 189, 193-5,
235-7, 269, 292-3,298-300.

Orleans, Louise Marie Adelaide,
Duchesse d'(atfirst Mdlle. d'Yvoy,
Mdlle. de Bourbon-Peuthiivre,
and Duchesse de Chartres), 10,
20-1, 27, 30, 34-5, 37-42, 45, 46,

47, 55-6, 61, 74-5, 95-7, 108-10,
112, 116-17, 119-21, 133, 140,
149, 156, 162, 164-5, 168, 177,
184, 193-5, 200-1, 220, 226,
296-8, 300, 304, 308.

Orleans, Philippe, Duo d', 3.
Orleans, Duo d' (father of ' ^galit6 ' ),

17, 21, 37, 38-40, 45, 71, 121,

125, 153.
Ossun, Madame d', 196.
Otho, Count of Maurieune, 2,

Pamela, 193.

Pardaillon d'Antin, Abbess, 166,
192, 306.

Paul of Russia, Grand Duke and
Duchess, 139-40.

Penthievre, Due de, 7-12, 16, 20,
22-35, 37-42, 45, 47, 51, 55,
65-8, 71-2, 74, 79, 81, 86-7, 96,
97-8, 114, 117, 119-22, 125,
134-5, 140, 142-5, 148-50, 155-7,
164-6, 168, 174, 176-80, 182-4,
191-3, 195, 200-2, 226-7, 237,
243, 256, 258, 265, 270, 272, 283,
288, 293-4, 297-8, 301, 308.

Penthi&vre, Duchesse de, 10, 11, 20,
23, 36, 144.

Peter, Count of Savoy, 2.

Peter the Great of Russia, 107.

Potion, 203, 229, 244-5, 249, 259,
264.

Pioquiny, Duchesse de, 50.

Pinel, 172.

Pitt, WilHam, 203.

Pittara, 26.

Pointel, Jacques, 293-4.

Poix, M. de, 252.

316

THE PRINCESSE DE LAMBALLE

Polastron, Madame de, 172-3, 207,

210.
Polignao, Comtease Diane de, 92,

101, 308.
Polignac, Due de (at first Comte

Jules de), 91, 124, 176, 202.
Polignac, Duchesse de (at first

Comtesse Jules de), 91-4, 99-104,

106, 109-10, 113, 117-18, 122-4,

127, 130-1, 136, 142, 148, 154,

157, 158, 162, 163, 175-6, 186,

202, 229, 302.
Pompadour, Madame de, 36.
Poulailler, 149-50.
Pouquet, 294.
Provence, Comte de, 19, 46, 53,

56-7, 89, 117, 145, 155, 165,

168, 181, 202, 205, 206, 215-17,

299.
Provence, Comtesse de, 53-5, 56-7,

62, 77, 89, 110, 117, 118, 165,

181, 202, 206, 299.
Prussia, Prince Henry of, 148-9.

QuEBNSBERRY, Duke of, 159.
Quervelle, 294.

Rancourt, MdUe. de, 63.
Regent, Prince, of England, 159,

184, 189, 299.
Regnault de St. Jean d'Ang^ly,

237-8.
R6gnier, 302.
Richer de Serizy, 237.
Roberts, Brothers, 147.
Robespierre, 234-5.
Rochefoucauld, Madame de la,

Abbess, 21.
Rochefoucauld, M. de la, 253,

308.
Rochejaquelin, Marquise de la,

230-2, 242-3, 308.
Roederer, 252-65.
Rohan, Mdlle. de, 46.
Roland, 238-9.
Rosenborg, Count, 76.
Roussel, 294.
Royale, Madame, 115-17, 165, 182,

199, 218, 225, 231, 240, 244,

252-3, 262-3, 292, 299.
Rozier, M. Pilatre de, 146.

Saippbrt, Dr., 150, 166, 222.
St. Brice, Madame, 261.
Saint-M^grim, Madame de, 134.
Sainte-Victoire, Comte de, 12.
Saluces, Madame de, 165.
Sardinia, Kings of. See Victor

Amadeus and Charles Emmanuel.
Savoy, Counts and Dukes of, 1-3.
Savoy, Chevalier de, 129, 151.
Savoy-Carignan. See Carignan.
Schlesinger, H., 308.
S6gur, M. de, 221.
Septeuil, Madame de, 270.
Servau, 238-9.
Sigismund, Emperor, 2.
Sommariva, Countess of, 4.
Sophie, Madame (daughter of Louis

XV.), 18, 117, 196.
Sophie, Madame (daughter of Louis

XVI.), 154, 163.
Souoy, Madame de, 240.
Soyecourt, Madame de, 134.
Spinola, Madame de, 257, 301.
Stael, Madame de, 245.
Stanislaus, King of Poland, 18.
Strafford, Earl of, 159.
Sweden, Adolphe, Prince of, 51.
Sweden, Gustavus, King of. See

Gustavus III.

Talleyrand, Baronne de (at first
Mdlle. Eugenie de Montigny),
21, 35, 109-10.

Tallien, 265.

Tarente la Tremouille, Princesse
de, 240, 246, 257, 261, 271,
308.

Tascher, M. de, 140.

Thibaut, Madame, 261.

Thiers, M., 97.

Tison, Madame, 291.

Tolozan, Madame de, 134.

Tomaso Francisco, Prince of Savoy-
Carignan, 3.

Toscan, M., 183.

Toulouse, Comte de, 7, 144.

Toulouse, Comtesse de, 32, 144,
220.

Tourzel, Marquise de, 176, 195,
199, 231, 233, 240, 246, 252,
256, 261-74, 278-82, 284, 307.

INDEX

317

Tourzel, Mdlle. Pauline de,

261-78, 282, 307.
Turgot, 65.

257,

Valois, Duo de. See Louis Phi-
lippe.

Vauban, Madame de, 221.

Vaudreuil, Comte de, 99.

Vauguyon, Due de, 175.

Vaupaliire, Marquis de, 206, 208,
219-21.

Vergniaud, 254.

Vermond, Abb6 de, 48, 79, 81,
89, 99, 111, 135, 175.

Victoire, Madame, 18, 117, 196,
230.

Victoire, Sister, 155-6.

Victor Amadeus li., King of Sar-
dinia, 3-4.

Villefranche, Comte de (at first
Prince Eugfeue of Oarignan), 5,
70-3, 128-30, 151.

Viry, Comte de, 73.

Voltaire, 121, 141.

Walpole, Horace, 20, 159, 308.
Weber, 63, 295, 308.
Williams, Helen Maria, 307.
Witikind, 1.

Yanville, M. d', 222.
York, Duke of, 159.

Printed by T. and A. Constajble, Printers to Hi.s Majesty
at the Edinburgh University Press